Impossible to Escape
by Writing Ficariously
Summary: 25 Bellas. 25 Edwards. 25 first time meetings. One couple that was meant to be. Written for The Twilight 25. See individual stories for ratings.
1. Countdown

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 1 - i54[dot]tinypic[dot]com/2vuzf4m[dot]jpg  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward, Alice, Jacob, Charlie  
>Rating: PG<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>Twelve people between him and Bella Swan.<p>

He's nervous, so nervous.

He shouldn't be, though, because everyone has always said that Bella is one of the sweetest girls ever and she's always nice to her fans. That doesn't matter right now because his heart is pounding so fast that it feels like it's going to beat right out of his chest.

Eleven people.

Less than a dozen people stand between him and Bella Swan. Her smile is wide as she greets a young boy who stares up at her adoringly. He hands her a copy of SURFER MAG and Bella scrawls her name over her mouth. Edward looks down at the magazine in his hands – the same one – and can't help but brush his thumb over her lips.

Then he stops because it's a little creepy and staring at her mouth, both on the magazine and in person, is doing bad things to him and there are too many strangers around for him to adjust himself.

Ten people now.

His younger sister is swinging a turquoise-colored backpack from the _Surfer Swan_ line and she asks to go see the new items that were just released yesterday. When he nods at her, Alice runs to admire the new jewelry in a glass case. She's so close that she's probably fogging up the glass but a salesperson approaches her, and the next thing Edward knows, Alice is trying on a necklace with a swan pendant.

He _really_ hopes it's not super expensive because it doesn't look like she wants to take it off.

Ever.

Nine people are in front of him.

Alice skips back to him with the salesperson following. Before he knows it, he's handing over a credit card and signing a handheld device.

"Is it our turn yet?" Alice asks after thanking her brother. "Can I take a picture with her? Are we close to her? SHE'S SO CLOSE!"

"Soon, kid," Edward replies. "We'll meet her soon."

The problem, he realizes, is that he can't decide if it's _too_ soon or not soon _enough_.

He's been a fan of hers for years, ever since he was bored and started flipping through the channels only to stop on some surfing competition. He'd been mesmerized by the petite girl _owning_ a giant wave – or what he assumed was considered a giant wave. He'd never been one for surfing but she looked good.

And now, only eight people separate him from her.

There are so many things he wants to say to her but he can't figure out which one he should use. He wants to tell her that he's been a fan for four years now; that watching her compete on that TV was one of the best things he's ever done. She inspires him to go after dreams but reminds him that it's not smart to give everything up for it – she may be young and rich from competition wins and endorsements but she always talks about going to school.

In a recent interview, she mentioned she would be attending Seattle Pacific. Edward is a little excited they'll be in the same city. He can't help it.

The line moves forward.

Seven.

Squeals suddenly erupt around Edward and he looks around. A glance to his left makes it obvious why the girls are suddenly whipping out cameras and snapping photos.

Jacob Black – tall, tanned, talented.

Bella's ex-boyfriend.

They met one year during the Vans Triple Crown; he was competing, she was a spectator. Edward hates that he knows so much about their relationship but when they broke up, Jacob was quick to mouth off about her during interviews. He's said less-than-complimentary things.

From where he stands, Edward can see Bella's eyes go wide as Jacob approaches her. Charlie Swan – her father and the man who manages Bella's career – steps in before Jacob can reach her and the two men exchange what looks to be tense words. Bella does her best to ignore them and focuses on the family in front of her. Edward wants to focus on her but he keeps getting distracted by the male voices that are slowly increasing in sound.

"You're not welcome here!" Charlie's voice is loud and powerful and causes everyone in the store to freeze.

Bella apologizes to the family and quickly rushes over. "Dad," she hisses loudly enough that everyone can hear. "What's going on?"

All Charlie does is gesture angrily toward Jacob, whose open shirt is flapping from the slight wind pushing through the open doors of the store.

"What are you doing here?" Bella asks him. "And close your shirt! There are kids here!"

"We need to talk," Jacob says flatly. "Since you've been ignoring me, I thought I'd make a scene."

Someone with a headset rushes over to them and tries to figure out what's going on. Realizing that he's not even sure there's a line to meet Bella anymore, he turns to grab Alice only to find her missing from his side.

"Alice?" he calls her name but she doesn't appear – at least not next to him. Instead, he sees his tiny, pint-sized sister running across the store and kicking Jacob Black in the shin. It must have been a rough one because he yelps and leans down like a bulldozer just crashed into him.

"What the hell?"

"Alice!" Edward rushes over and picks her up, slinging her over his shoulder. "I'm so sorry," he tries to apologize.

"Who the hell are you?" Jacob sizes him up like he's competition. He turns to Bella again, "You know these two?"

"Uh, I'm just –"

"My boyfriend!" Bella blurts out unexpectedly. Her eyes are wide when she turns to Edward who can only stare at her in shock. "He wanted to introduce me to his… little sister."

Though flustered, Edward nods. "Uh… Yeah. Guess Alice was pissed that _someone_ was trying to bother my girl." He really hopes his face doesn't flush when he calls Bella 'my girl' but he feels hot all over. He also really hopes Alice plays along when he sets her down.

"Hi," she says brightly. "I'm Alice. You're the one he always talks about, huh?" Edward wants to groan but she continues talking, this time to Jacob. "And you're the guy who talks shit about Bella just because she found someone better than you. Gross."

Despite her cursing, Edward wants to hug her and thank her forever. He doesn't even care that her words caused him embarrassment because she totally just _owned_ Jacob Black. That necklace was definitely worth it.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." A woman walks up the group with two security guards behind her. "You're disrupting an event."

Jacob looks like he wants to argue but the security guards are bigger than him and look annoyed that they were even called over so he just shoots Bella a dirty look and turns. A group of girls scamper after him, asking for autographs, but Edward doesn't pay him any more attention. He turns his body and faces Bella who is looking at him, her lips curved into a small smile.

"Sorry about that," she says. "He used to get jealous easily so I just thought…"

"It's okay," Edward says.

"Why don't you guys come up to the table already?" Charlie cuts in. "We'll make sure you get pictures and everything, maybe even a few items from the new line for free in thanks."

"Dad," Bella says his name in an embarrassed tone.

"That's not necessary," Edward insists but lets out a small shout when he feels Alice's foot kick out at him. "Okay, maybe some time with the kid would be appreciated." There's another kick. "Alice! Quit it! I'll just buy you another thing, okay?"

Bella giggles at the two of them. "I'm Bella, by the way."

"He knows," Alice says with a giggle of her own.

"Alice," he practically whines.

"So she's Alice," Bella says. "But you are?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Edward is flustered but he holds out a hand. "Edward," he introduces himself. "Edward Cullen."

She smiles brightly and shakes his hand. "Nice to meet you, Edward Cullen." She tilts her head toward the table where she was earlier, signing and meeting fans. "Since you're supposed to be my boyfriend, wanna come sit with me?"

Edward can only nod and he follows her to the area at the end of the roped off lines and he grins.

None.

There is no longer anyone standing between him and Bella Swan.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to oOza for the beta work.<em>


	2. Crash

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 2 - i51[dot]tinypic[dot]com/b64l00[dot]jpg  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward, Alice, Leah, Rosalie  
>Rating: PG-13<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>The party is a mix of her friends and Leah's friends. It's the first time they've hosted a party for New Year's but it's looking –<p>

"So far, so good," Alice says from her side, appearing like a Christmas elf gone rogue. "I approve, Swan."

Bella doesn't take her words lightly. As one of the most successful event planners in upstate New York, Alice knows what works and what doesn't. The fact that she approves of the mini shindig must mean she did something right.

"I like that dress, by the way," Alice continues. "Where'd you get it?"

Glancing down, Bella doesn't think anything is special about what she's wearing. It's a simple gray mini-dress with a slight military look to it. She thought she'd wear it in honor of her brother who's spending the holidays overseas. She's actually pretty sure she's worn it in front of Alice before.

Which means –

"Who do you want to meet?" Bella asks with a sigh. She looks around the room and tries to figure out which guy managed to catch Alice's very critical eye. After a few circles around the room, she sees him – tall, lean, hair that falls in short waves over his eyes – and suppresses a grin. "I just met him earlier. He's one of Leah's friends."

Alice and Leah don't get along. Both of them have fierce personalities and strong opinions that often clash. Despite their mutual hatred, however, Alice narrows her eyes in determination and begins walking toward the man. She pauses only when Leah comes out of the kitchen and walks to him, hugging him with a smile. Alice shakes her head, straightens her shoulders, and continues her walk.

The entire time this is happening, Bella stands behind the bar that separates the living room and dining room. For now, it's filled with appetizers – some homemade like the quiche she's currently nibbling on and some store-bought because Bella _really_ didn't want to roll tiny hot dogs in pieces of crescent rolls – and a few bottles. Realizing she should be a good host, she begins to collect the empty bottles of beer to take into the kitchen.

After a few seconds, she realizes someone is next to her and she looks over to see an attractive man collecting bottles with her.

"You don't have to do that," she insists.

He shrugs. "It's okay. A few of these are probably mine."

Someone calls her name and Bella turns to see Rosalie striding over to her with two large bottles of wine. "Sorry I'm late!" she says breathlessly like she took the stairs up to the 8th floor of the building where the apartment is. It's actually a feasible thing; Rosalie's more than a little claustrophobic and will only take the elevator when absolutely necessary.

"You're not late," Bella assures her as she takes the bottles from her. "You didn't have to bring anything."

"I wanted to." Rosalie winks at her. "These are _fantastic_ years. Let's put it aside until the majority of the guests leave."

"Rose?" Both girls turn at the voice and Attractive Man is staring at Rosalie with wide, surprised eyes.

"Oh my God, what are you doing here?" she asks. Without another word to Bella, she grabs his arm and pulls him toward the living room, yapping away like a tiny lap dog.

"That's mean, Bella," she whispers to herself. "Just because she's blonde and beautiful doesn't mean she doesn't have brains and is annoying like those ugly Chihuahuas." She makes her way to the kitchen and sets the bottle of red on the counter and puts the white in the refrigerator to chill. Even though Rosalie mentioned keeping the wine for just them, Bella studies the label and decides she wants to try it. As she grabs a wine glass from the counter, she mumbles, "If she wants to leave me for Attractive Man, then I'll have wine without her."

"Talking to yourself again?" Alice pipes in from the doorway. Her sudden appearance surprises Bella and she clenches her fingers around the glass, causing it to break in her hand. "Oh shit, are you okay?"

"Fine, fine," Bella mutters, waving her uninjured hand to shoo her friend away. There are a few cuts on her palm but nothing _too_ deep and she keeps her hand under running water for a few minutes while Alice begins talking about Leah and her inability to keep her nose out of everyone's business.

The sound of laughter fills the room; Rosalie and Attractive Man enter the kitchen only to pause when they see Bella at the sink and Alice by the counter with her forehead on the flat surface. "Uh… You guys okay?" Rosalie asks.

Bella lifts her hand to show the cuts that are still bleeding lightly while Alice lets out a pained groan, saying, "Boys."

After a moment, Rosalie nods. "I've got the boys. You get the blood, Doctor." She pushes Attractive Doctor toward Bella. "I like her so take of her, okay?" She grabs Alice's arm and pulls gently. "Come on, sulky. Tell me your problems."

When they're gone, Bella stares at Attractive Doctor for a second before she turns back to the sink. She's about to turn the faucet to stop the water when a warm hand wraps around her wrist. "Can I see?"

"It's not that bad," she says quietly but lets him take her hand. He inspects it and reaches around her to grab some paper towels. He wets them lightly and wraps them around her palm.

"Do you have a first aid kit? We should probably wrap that up better."

She's not sure if she wants to snort at the idea of her _not_ having a first aid kit or comment on the wrapping comment. She settles on the safe topic. "Yeah, there's one in my bathroom." She begins to move but stops. "Are you really a doctor?"

He gives a bashful shrug. "Doctor Edward Cullen," he says.

"How old are you?" Bella can't help but ask then realizes how rude she sounds. "Not that… I mean, you just look young and… My bathroom's this way," she says quickly.

"Twenty-nine," he tells her as he follows her down a short hall into a bedroom. "This isn't a bathroom."

"Really?" Bella asks, feigning shock. "I thought it was!" She can't help but give him an impish grin. "This way."

The en suite bathroom is spacious with large windows over a wide tub. Edward likes the comfortable feeling in the room and says so when Bella hands him a familiar white box. She thanks him then hops up onto the counter by the sink, holding out her hand.

"You remind me of some of my patients." He chuckles and when Bella tilts her head in question, he continues, "I work with children." She raises an eyebrow. "The way you stuck your hand out – the kids do that when I'm about to give them a Band-Aid." She still doesn't say anything. "I'm blabbering a bit, aren't I?"

"It's cute," she says simply.

"So are you," Edward says without thinking. He lifts his head from cleaning her hand and Bella notices a faint tint of pink on his cheeks. "Uh, that is –"

"That's sweet," she cuts in softly. She watches him bend down again and when he finishes wrapping some tape around her hand, she flexes her fingers. "Thanks." He doesn't move from his position in front of her. "I'm Bella, by the way."

She watches the corners of his mouth turn up. "I know."

"You know?"

"I asked Rosalie about you," he confesses. "I couldn't help it."

"Oh." Her lower lip finds itself trapped between her teeth. The feel of his thumb on the space beneath her mouth is hot and sends electricity shooting down her spine. He tugs her lip free. "I'm kind of glad you did."

His eyes light up. "Me too."

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><p><em>Thank you to oOza for the beta work.<em>


	3. The Tale of the Laundry Bandit

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 1 – i39[dot]tinypic[dot]com/f233va[dot]jpg  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: PG-13<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p><em>Tap<em>

_Tap_

_Tap tap_

_Tap_

_Tap tap tap taptap tap tap_

"Nice beat you have there."

"Hmm?" Bella looks up just as a tall body walks past her. All she can see is dark hair and a lean, muscled body. A large laundry bag covers the majority of his right side and his back.

"The pencil," he says, tossing his head slightly backwards as a gesture toward Bella's hand that rests near her books.

"Oh. Thanks." She watches as he disappears through another doorway. The building is one of the off-campus apartments and the school created a common room area right next to the laundry room. She's never been happier of this addition until this very moment. Turning in her chair, Bella manages to catch a glimpse of a tight ass encased in denim.

He's loud in the laundry room, banging and shuffling and cursing. Bella listens closely. He doesn't _look_ like the panty snatcher but not all convicts are ugly. When she hears an embarrassed _Oops_, Bella stands and walks toward the room, leaving her books at the table but taking her phone with her.

"A-ha!" she exclaims when she peeks in. He's standing in front of the dryer that holds her clothes with the door half-open. "It's _you_!"

"Not again," he murmurs. With a loud sigh, he turns his head to face Bella completely.

She gasps. "Oh my god, it's you."

She knows him. Everyone at the school knows him. Edward Cullen. He's the best runner they've had in years and his name has been linked to the Olympic trials though he's mum about it in interviews. Bella can't help but give him a once-over and she has to admit that she likes what she sees.

"You said that already."

"What?"

He gives her a lopsided grin. "That it's me – you said that already. Just in case you weren't sure, I know who I am."

Anger flashes through her hotly at the supposed arrogance of his words but then she notices that his eyes are bright with amusement. A different type of heat – one that crawls up her neck and stains the apples of her cheeks – consumes her and when she speaks again, it's low and bashful.

"I'm sorry," she apologizes. "Someone's been taking girls' underwear around here. I saw you there and thought it was you but then you looked up and I realized you were _you_ but it can't be you."

It takes a moment to understand the amount of "yous" she used but Edward finally grins. "You sure about that?" When she narrows her eyes, he holds his hands up in surrender. "It's not me. I was looking for a dryer but they're all full."

"It was on," she says suspiciously.

"No," he argues. Bella shuffles into the room and peers at the dryer. Sure enough, the timer has run down to zero. She frowns because there was no buzzer to alert her.

Her eyes fall on the blue bag set against a washer. "You haven't even washed yet."

"I have to claim a dryer early," he insists. "You'd be surprised at how many people do laundry this late at night."

Bella's eyebrows draw down and together. "What were you going to do? Sit on the dryer until you needed it?"

He shrugs. "Basically, yeah." He flashes her a grin. "Feel like sharing?"

"I guess," she answers slowly. She walks slowly toward him like he's a snake about to bite her. "Can you, um, could you move?"

His arm sweeps out in an exaggerated manner and she can't help but roll her eyes. She already has a basket of clothes waiting beneath the table in the other room so she ducks out to grab it. By the time she returns, Edward is dumping soap into the washer and shutting the lid.

"It's better if you put the soap in before the clothes."

He peeks over his shoulder, green eyes inquisitive. "Is it?"

"Mm-hmm." She drops the basket in front of the dryer and begins shoveling the clothes out. It's mostly her underwear – thongs and cheekies and boy shorts and plain cotton for _that_ time of the month – but there are also a few pieces of lingerie that she's worn for parties.

"Stay," he requests just as she's picking up the basket to take into the other room. Bella stares at him. "Please."

"Why?"

He shrugs again. "It would be nice to have someone to talk to."

"I have to," she begins. She nods her head toward the basket.

He grins that toothy, lopsided smile. Again. "I have a sister. I've seen it all before." His eyes land on a pale purple piece with black lace. "Except that. I don't ever want to see my sister in that."

Bella has fond memories of that particular piece of fabric so she smiles a bit.

Despite her better judgment, she sets the basket down on one of the small tables set up near the dryers. She meticulously starts folding.

_Thud_

_Thud thud_

_Thud_

_Thud thud_

"That's kind of annoying," Bella says distractedly.

"Well, then, how about we fill the silence?" Bella glances at him. "You seem to know who I am but I don't know you."

"Bella," she answers.

"Bella," he repeats. "I'm Edward."

"I know." She feels like she should laugh.

"So what year are you?"

"Junior."

"Young," he teases.

"Old enough," she retorts.

A weighted silence fills the room at her words. Part of her is appalled she said that out loud. Another part of her hopes he can read between the lines. Listen between the words?

"Old enough for what?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she asks with a soft chuckle.

"I would."

When she looks at him again, his face seems different. His eyes are narrowed, their color a darker green than earlier, almost like a storm. His jaw is clenched tightly.

He's hot like that. She feels like his prey. Her mouth curves into a coy smile. If he wants to play, she'll play.

Brushing him off, she turns back to her clothes and picks up a tangle of silk and lace. Her fingers fold the fabric carefully and as she sets it back down, she feels warmth at her back and fingers at her hip.

"You feel it, don't you?" His voice is low, sending a delicious thrill down her spine. "It's not just me?"

Not caring that it makes her seem like some wanton girl desperate for him, she pushes back into him. "I feel it."

Edward sucks in air through his teeth. "You're dangerous."

"A little."

A loud bang startles them and they jump apart, though Edward's hand lingers on her waist.

"What was that?"

Frowning, Edward shrugs but turns toward the common room where the sound originated. He pulls away from Bella completely and walks toward the doorway separating the two rooms. The sight before him has him laughing and Bella walks to him, ducking her face around his body.

Eric Yorkie, known for his starring roles in the school's musical productions, is curled up in a ball on the floor by Bella's things. He's holding onto his knee like he just ran into something.

Around him are scattered pieces of underwear.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to oOza for the beta work.<em>


	4. Bedroom Eyes

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 1 – i44[dot]tinypic[dot]com/2ij262p[dot]jpg  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: NC-17<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>"Bedroom," he whispers into her ear. The breath from his mouth hits dampened skin and a shiver runs through her body. His hands are a noticeable weight on her hips, his denim-covered cock an even more noticeable against her ass. "Now."<p>

She doesn't bother to turn on any lights. She stumbles through the darkness of the short hallway, letting out a giggle when he growls behind her. Before she knows it, they're in front of her bedroom door. He reaches around her and turns the knob, nudging her into the small space. The door slams shut with a loud _bang_ behind them.

Moonlight spills in through the large windows above her bed. A warm breeze circles the room, muggy and sticky. It doesn't bother them, only makes them want to get rid of their clothes faster. She grasps the edge of her tank top and pulls it up, letting out a low moan when long fingers trace around curves before brushing thumbs over dusky nipples.

She reaches out and tugs at his shirt, whispering her request for him to get naked. When fabric no longer covers his body, she bites her lip and traces the muscles in his stomach. He's hard beneath her palms and she slides her hands down to the fly of his jeans where she slips buttons through holes until she can reach in where he's hot and heavy.

Hands, slightly slick with sweat, surround her neck and fingers tilt her face up to him. She stares into his eyes while her right hand moves up and down, while her fingers trace the outline of his dick through tight boxer-briefs that she wishes were on her floor already. He breathes out a long sigh and the scent of mint wafts over her.

"Hey." His voice is strained. "Not to be a dick…"

At his words, she squeezes lightly and he makes a strangled sound before pressing a thumb on her bottom lip harshly, a bit of a warning to be careful.

"What?" she asks coyly, blinking her lashes slowly.

"What's your name again?"

She pauses for a second before she throws her head back and laughs, the sound circling the room like dancing fairies. When she quiets down, her hands move up to scratch at his abs.

"Bella," she says with a smile. "Now tell me yours again."

"Edward," he answers promptly. "Now that that's out of the way…"

"You can fuck me now," she murmurs.

"Not yet."

He moves forward, making her walk backwards until they fall onto the bed. The sheets are askew and their movements only cause them to bunch up more. Bella's legs spread to frame Edward's body and he pushes down lightly on her, letting her feel his weight while he tastes her mouth and licks the salty sweat from her neck. Teeth scrape against her skin before lips surround a nipple. Sure and steady hands go to the back of his head. Her fingers twist into his hair and she pushes his face closer to her chest, wanting to completely lose herself in him. It doesn't last long though and she starts to push him away and down.

"Lower," she demands in a hoarse tone.

While he kisses his way down her stomach, he lifts his gaze and raises his eyebrows at her. He bites at the skin just above her denim shorts and slips his hands up beneath them. They're short so he feels wet fabric quickly. She hisses when a finger slides under the fabric of her panties.

"Off. Please. Off." Even as she speaks, she unbuttons and unzips her shorts. Edward pulls away long enough to help her remove the article of clothing, taking in the way her legs straighten out for him. He pauses at her feet and traces circles on her ankles, swirling invisible lines up long, smooth legs until he reaches ties at her hips. Without any prompting, her legs part again and she spreads her knees. Edward can't help but lean down to mouth the area between her thighs, tasting her through satin.

Deft fingers pull at the strings and he slowly backs away from her with the fabric between his teeth. He tugs and Bella is reminded of an eager puppy, especially when he growls. Lifting her hips, she feels the last piece of fabric leave her body and her skin pebbles despite the summer heat filtering into the room. All thoughts leave her mind when Edward presses his lips against the center of her body, moving his tongue against her warmth. His hands keep her thighs apart, his arms hooked under and over her legs, his fingers brushing against the apex of her thighs every now and again. He breathes her in and imprints the feel of her against his tongue in his mind.

When he sits up on his knees, Bella's hands are wrapped in loose sheets, the fabric so tight against her knuckles that her skin is turning white. He calls her name and he glances at the white side table by her bed in a silent question. She nods and watches as he leans over and rummages through her things before his hand reappears with a familiar square item. It doesn't take long for him to rip it open and prepare himself and brown eyes sparkling with want follow his every moment.

"Yeah?"

She nods. "Yeah."

She's hot and wet around him. Her hips lift up toward him so he can slide deeper inside of her. Large hands move over her body, one to the base of her spine so he can support her as he drives her harder into the bed, and the other to her knee so he can push her leg back to open her wider. The skin at the inside of her thigh is slick when his fingers dance from her knee upward. He presses his thumb there, imagines a printed tattoo from his fingerprint, and moves to her clit where he teases and circles and makes her gasp his name.

Deeper and deeper until she thinks she'll still feel him tomorrow but she begs him to go harder and his hips thrust against hers, the loud slap of skin on skin echoing in the bedroom. He grunts above her in a less-than-beautiful way but it's low and rumbles deep through her stomach and into her chest. He leans down and pushes his forehead into her shoulder, his body still melting into hers. Turning his head, he sucks at her pulse point, feeling the rapid beat burst into him.

Her moans and gasps turn into a litany of words, curses, and his name. She feels her legs begin to quake and all she can do is turn her head from side to side in a weak attempt at control. Tighter and tighter her body winds until her mouth opens and breath rushes into her lungs and back out shakily. Edward keeps thrusting into her, faster until he doesn't know where he ends and she begins. It's like he's losing himself in the slickness of her body, in the rise and fall of her chest. His orgasm rips through him and his hips jerk minutely until his muscles can relax and he falls against her.

"Edward." She says his name after a few minutes of heavy breathing and staring at the ceiling.

"Bella."

"That was…" All she can do is smile and he laughs, the sound rolling over her skin like a blanket. "Edward. I like saying your name."

"You sound good saying my name." He can't help but tease her.

She gives him an impish grin before pushing herself off the bed. "Be right back."

When she disappears out of the bedroom, Edward sits up and looks around the room. It's neat except for the bed and he can imagine visiting a second time if she wants. He knew, back at Emmett's apartment, that he'd want Bella for more than a one-night stand; he just wasn't sure where she stood since their conversation had been just about tonight.

The sound of a flushing toilet permeates the door and then she's there, naked and gorgeous. "Deep thinking?" she asks, leaning against the frame of the doorway.

"Should I leave?" He asks it stoically, like it won't be a problem if she says yes.

Her lips purse together and her head tilts to one side, making her hair fall over her shoulder in messy curls. "If you have to."

It's not an actual answer so Edward stands. He notices Bella suck in a deep breath at the motion so he walks over to her, caging her in between his arms. "That's not an answer."

She leans forward and bites at his chest. "Stay." She glances up and he can't help but give her a smug grin. "For tonight."

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to shpwhitney for the quick emergency beta and pre-read. All mistakes are my own.<em>


	5. Like I've Never

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 1 – i41[dot]tinypic[dot]com/vynoft[dot]png  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward, Emmett  
>Rating: PG<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>Edward curses as the snow begins to fall. He checks the gauge in his Volvo and thanks no one in particular that he decided to fill up at the last rest area. He's far enough from the city now that all he sees is trees and blackness. Within minutes, the snow is falling heavily and he breathes a sigh of relief when he turns into the driveway of his parents' house no more than 20 minutes later.<p>

The lights on the first floor are on and he can see the Christmas tree through the window of the formal dining room. The driveway is empty, which is strange, but he has a key so it's not a problem. After grabbing his duffel bag from the trunk, he rushes up the walkway and makes a mental note to throw some salt down after he settles in so the snow can melt a bit and no one will slip.

The sound of laughter hits his ears once he steps inside and he pauses. "Mom?" he calls out. "Dad?"

"Edwahd!"

A tiny blur streaks toward him and Edward bends down to grab his little brother who squeals when he's thrown into the air. When Edward settles the three-year-old in his arms, tiny hands press into his cheeks before a kiss is placed on his nose.

"Hey Emmett," Edward says with a grin. "Are you all alone in the house?"

"No!" He giggles and pushes his hands closer together so that Edward's lips look like a fish's.

"No? Well who…" He trails off when he sees the young woman walking toward him. He can't help but stare at her as she gives him a warm smile. She's pretty in a girl-next-door sort of way, not really on par with the women he sees day in and day out in his job, but that's a good thing. "Uh, who are you?"

Her smile doesn't fade and she stops only when she's a few feet away. Emmett immediately starts squirming; when Edward puts him down, he runs over to the woman and hugs her legs.

"Edwahd, is Bella," Emmett introduces her.

"Bella?" The name isn't familiar to him.

"Emmett's babysitter," she supplies. "Well, when I'm home from school, anyway. You're the infamous Edward."

"Infamous?" He feels like an idiot with his one-word responses.

"Emmett always talks about you. Your mom, too." She shakes her head. "I thought you weren't coming home until tomorrow or that's what your Mom said…"

"I was," he says with a nod. "Managed to change some of my meetings though so I could come home earlier. I thought they'd be here."

Emmett tugs on the hem of Bella's shirt and she picks him up with a grunt. "The Rushmans are having their holiday party tonight."

"That's right," Edward muses quietly, mostly to himself. "Jasper mentioned that the last time we spoke. I should stop by." He glances behind him at the still open door and all he can see are sheets of white. "Or not."

"Yeah, it's getting pretty bad out there."

"Bella, we play outside?"

"Not tonight, kid." She shakes her head for emphasis, making a face when Emmett's face scrunches up. "It's cold!"

At her words, Edward shuts the front door. "Sorry about that."

Bella smiles and tilts her head. "I don't have to stay if you're here." She pauses. "Oh. Wait. Your father was supposed to bring me home."

"Do you mind staying?" Edward asks. "I'd take you but I don't have a car seat for Em."

"Yeah, that's fine." She nods her head toward the back of the house. "We were actually baking cookies. We're just about ready to decorate some. Wanna help?"

"Sure." He reaches out and snags Emmett, ignoring the sounds of protest. "I'll watch the kid and make sure he doesn't overdose on icing."

"Is that all?" She laughs as she walks back to the kitchen. A quick glance over her shoulder shows Edward and Emmett smiling identical grins.

"Hey," he protests. "At least I'm doing something worthwhile. This guy's just going to try stealing cookies the entire time."

"Nooooo," Emmett wails playfully. "No stealing, Edwahd."

"_I'm_ not going to steal, kid."

"Not me!"

"We'll see about that." He narrows his eyes at his brother and jerks his head back when Emmett tries to smooth back his eyebrows and almost pokes his eyes. "Watch those hands. You'll make me go blind."

There's a slightly eerie silence in the kitchen. Bella is staring at them with raised eyebrows. "Are you two done with the bickering?"

"Bella, what's bick-ing?"

"It's _almost_ fighting," Edward explains. "And yes, we're done." He says the last part to Bella who shakes her head and pushes a paper plate with three cookies over. "What's this?"

"You're in the kitchen. You can't leave until you frost or decorate or… Something."

Edward smirks at the sassiness in her tone. "And if I don't?"

She glares at him for a moment before turning a smile to Emmett. "Emmett, don't you want your brother to decorate a cookie for you? A work of art _just_ for you?"

"You're an evil woman."

"Edwahd, can you?"

"Yeah, _Edward_, can you?" Bella giggles at the face he shoots her and passes over some frosting tubes. "Just one?"

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbles.

For the next 30 minutes, the three of them sit at the table, frosting cookies and sprinkling them with glitter. Emmett eats more than he's allowed which means he's a crumbly mess. With a roll of her eyes, she leads him out of the room for a wash and to get him ready for bed.

"You'll be okay?" she asks Edward. He waves a hand at her because as soon as she stood up, he had grabbed a plate of plain cookies, and is now bent over them with a tube of red frosting. "I'll be back."

It takes 45 minutes for Emmett to settle into bed and to say good night to Bella. She flips the switch to the main light in his room and leaves the door slight ajar. When she returns to the kitchen, Edward is nowhere to be found but everything is cleaned up – the few dirty dishes are all in the sink instead of scattered over the table and the counters, the decorations and frosting have been put away, and the cookies are all in plastic containers.

One plate remains on the table.

Bella walks over and looks down, letting out a rush of air when she sees the art. That's what it is – art, not just frosting. On the sugar cookie is a cartoon version of her, all swirled hair, red dots where her cheeks should be, and big eyes done in purple.

"Purple was the closest I could get to brown."

Whirling, Bella sees Edward leaning against the doorway between the kitchen and the den. He's eating a cookie.

"That one is yours."

"You did this." It's not a question, really, because of _course_ he decorated the cookie. No one else is in the house. Her mouth forms a half-smile. "It's not your usual work."

His eyebrows lift. "You know my work?"

She gives him an incredulous look. Of course she knows his work – long strokes that form a woman's body; curving lines that are intimate, sometimes _too_ intimate for Bella's eyes; colors that somehow convey emotions across a canvas.

"Of course."

He grins and lifts a shoulder in a shrug. "Well, I didn't think my usual work would be appropriate for a cookie nor do I think it could have fit correctly. That's what you get."

"It's cute. I almost don't want to eat it."

"Really? Because I could go for another –"

"I said _almost_." She grabs the cookie before he can step toward her. "So, uh, I don't know when your parents are getting back."

"Late, probably."

"And I can't get home until they're here."

"No worries." Edward points with his thumb over his shoulder. "I set up the system so we could watch a movie. I mean, if you're up for it."

"Can I choose the movie?"

"Depends."

Bella thinks about the titles she's seen on the shelves and what she really wants to watch. She looks down at the cookie in her hand before glancing out the kitchen window to see the snow still falling steadily.

"_Nightmare Before Christmas_?"

He's quiet for so long that Bella finally lifts her head again, moving her gaze from the caricature of her face to Edward. The corners of his mouth are pulled up into a sweet smile.

"Yeah. Okay. We can do that."

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to fanglang for pre-reading. All mistakes are my own - my apologies.<em>


	6. Red Riding Hood

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 6 - ambivalence  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: PG<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>Bella still loves the story about the girl in a red cape and her grandmother and a wolf. She knows the origins of the tale and the changes it's gone through over the centuries so she's not at all surprised that her eyes fall on a bag labeled <em>Adult Red Riding Hood<em>. Through the clear plastic, she sees the deep red folds of velvet and off-white ruffles. She imagines herself wearing the red cape and can't help but reach out for the bag.

The picture on the front makes her pause, though.

Whenever Bella thinks about Red Riding Hood she thinks of a knee-length dress of red and white, black flats, and the cape. She'd curl her hair just a little bit and brush the faintest of blushes on the apples of her cheeks. The girl in the photo that covers the front of the bag looks _nothing_ like the image in her head. The costume is short – _very_ shot – and the top hangs off of her shoulders, revealing cleavage that no child should ever see. There are red cuffs on the girl's wrists and she's wearing fishnet stockings and motorcycle boots.

Bella's mind races. It's the perfect costume for Rosalie's party on Friday, a character she's always loved, but it's so… so…

"Slutty," she whispers. Her eyes dart around. She hopes no one heard her, especially one of the kids browsing the costumes behind her.

Taking the bag from its hook, she turns it over and over in her hands. Her bottom lip gets caught between her teeth as she tries to make a list of pros and cons for the costume.

Pro – she'd look hot.

Con – she'd look a little bit skanky.

Pro – Red Riding Hood is her dream come true.

Con – she'd probably end up being some gross teen boy's wet dream.

Pro – the costume is her size: a medium.

Con – the large would probably be better to cover up some more of her legs but then it would hang off her shoulders and she'd probably flash someone.

"Can I help you with anything?"

The bag drops to the floor as Bella turns in surprise. Even though she's just holding a costume, she feels like she's been caught doing something dirty, something _wrong_.

_Stupid costume_, she thinks. _Stupid sexy, revealing costume._

The employee reaches down and picks up the costume, glancing at it quickly. "Did you find the size you were looking for?" He looks up and Bella has to hold back a gasp. He's hot. Really hot. He's also rifling through the packs of _Adult Red Riding Hood_ costumes.

"Um…"

"I can look in the back to see if we have any small sizes," he informs her.

"A smaller… No, no, that's my size." She reaches out to grab the bag but her hand pauses halfway, lingering in the space between them. "I don't… Is this the only Red Riding Hood costume you guys carry?"

"I think so unless you're a six-year-old. I have costumes in that size."

"That's a _no_," Bella says with a small giggle. She can't help it. The longer he stands in front of her, the more she notices that his eyes are the color of seaweed, that his jaw creates perfect angles on his face, that his mouth is absolutely kissable.

"I'm um… I'm Bella," she blurts out. As soon as she introduces herself, she jerks away from him in shock. "Not that you needed to know that."

"Well, Bella," he begins with a smile. "My name's Edward. If I can help you with anything, just let me know, okay? I'm pretty good at this whole costume thing." He sends her a wink that makes her feel like she's a newborn colt trying to stand for the first time.

As he turns to leave, Bella can't help but reach for him. The tips of her fingers manage to grab the sleeve of his tee shirt. "Wait!" He turns back to her. "The costume?"

"Oh!" Edward chuckles at himself and holds it out to her. "Sorry about that."

She takes the bag slowly from his hand. "Is there… Am I allowed to try this on?"

Edward leads her to a cluster of dressing rooms and warns her to be careful with the costume since the second she tears a thread from it, she'll be forced to buy it. She wants to argue for the sake of arguing – seriously, there can't be kids who try on costumes without ruining them – but she just nods and disappears behind the door.

It looks good on her.

There's no poof beneath the skirt part yet but she's sure one of her friends has a petticoat or whatever it's called but it flares near the tops of her thighs, barely half an inch below where her fingertips rest against her leg. The front laces give her an almost refined look and Bella can't help but turn to the side to admire what the dress does for her figure. Who knew a costume could actually do that?

As she stares at herself in the mirror, Bella can see herself wearing the costume to the party. She doesn't want the fishnets – doesn't want _any_ sort of stocking – and she has knee-high boots with a two-and-a-half inch heel that lace up the back. They'd look good with the costume. She wants blood red lipstick and not too much eye make-up but she wants her hair to spill over her shoulders because then she could flip it back and give boys coy looks.

One boy.

Hurriedly, she strips out of the costume, folds it, and places it back in the bag. She rushes out of the dressing room after sliding her jeans and shirt back on and almost jumps back when she sees Edward waiting near the entrance of the dressing room area.

"How'd it fit?" he asks with a smile. It's a simple question from employee to customer but Bella's body flushes a bit.

"Great." She rocks back and forth on her heels for a while. "I'm gonna take it."

His smile widens. "I'll ring you up. Follow me."

While he places the plastic bag into a store bag, he taps the corner of her credit card against the counter. The system, it seems, is taking a while to process her card. She doesn't mind. She's trying to work up the courage to ask him to Rosalie's party.

_That's not creepy, is it?_ Bella asks herself silently.

"So what are you going to be this year?"

Edward looks at her in surprise. "Oh, um, probably nothing. I'm working here until we close at four then I'll probably just hand out candy."

"Oh." Her eyes glance around the space behind the register.

"I… Could get one…"

Bella's eyes zoom back onto his face.

"I mean, if it was needed or something." He waves a hand around him lazily. "I have a place to find one."

Bella nods.

"Right."

The receipt finally prints out and he slides it over to her with a green pen. She signs her name on the dotted line and slides it back but when he reaches to take it, she presses down so he can't pull it away.

"There's a party this Friday. A friend of mine throws a big Halloween party every year. It's fun."

She holds her breath and waits to hear what he'll say.

"I could… Probably find a woodsman costume. Would that be okay?"

Bella nods. "Yeah, that's… That's perfect."

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to oOza for the beta work.<em>


	7. Infidelity

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 7 - clandestine  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: PG<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>Edward stares at her from across the room. The young woman is pretty in a natural sort of way, in a simple but sleek business suit. She sits at a table in the corner of the small café, a small table with only two chairs. After she sets her paper cup on the table, she pops the cover off, pours in two packets of sugar, and stirs slowly.<p>

A small plate appears next to his notebook. Edward jolts slightly and looks up to warm, brown eyes that smile down at him. He shakes his head slightly. "I didn't order anything."

"On the house," she says. Her head tilts toward the woman. "She's been coming here for six months – at _least_. It's a bit like a show."

"A show?" he questions but she just shakes her head with a small shrug.

When she leaves, Edward turns his attention back to the brunette by the window. She's looking at her phone, tapping out what looks to be a text message. As she puts it back down on the table, a soft smile appears on her face. Edward watches as she stares down at her hands. The fingers of her right hand move to her left ring ringer. With a small twist, she slips off two rings – one a seemingly simple band, the other a more intricate looking ring with a large diamond that sparkles under the lights.

For a moment, Edward wonders if the rings would feel heavy in her hand. It's obvious that she wants to hide her marriage, wants to hide that she belongs with another. He wants to go to her, ask for her name, and ask why she doesn't want to wear the symbols of fidelity. If it were him, he'd proudly wear a ring.

"Do you like it?" The server is standing next to him again, looking at him curiously.

"I'm sorry?"

"The cupcake." She gestures toward the plate but notices that it's still whole. "Oh. I didn't even… I'm sorry."

"No, no, I'll try it." He peels the wrapper off of the dessert and pulls off a chunk of the bottom. It's red velvet and the cupcake practically melts in his mouth. "Oh. This is… This is good."

She's staring at him with confusion and amusement when he looks at her. "You haven't even tried the icing. That's the best part."

"That's why I save it until the end."

A bell tinkles as the door to the shop opens. An older, attractive man walks in.

"He's also been coming here for six months. Most of the time, I see him around this time."

He walks over to the woman by the window and touches her shoulder. She stands and wraps her arms around his shoulder, finding his lips for a kiss that borders on inappropriate for a public place.

"Sometimes, though, I see him in the morning with a beautiful blonde with an _insanely_ gigantic rock on her finger."

"Really?" Edward stops bringing another piece of cupcake to his mouth and moves his gaze from the couple to the girl to the couple and back to the girl who nods with a mischievous glint in her eyes. His eyes fall to the small tag pinned to her chest. "Bella."

"Hmm?" She glances down at her nametag. "Oh. Yup, that's me." Leaning down, she whispers loudly, "I see all and hear all."

"I'm Edward." He holds out his hand but realizes there's still cupcake in it. He pops the red-colored cake in his mouth and brushes crumbs off on a napkin before holding out his hand again. "Sorry. I'm Edward," he repeats.

"Nice to meet you." Bella nods to the couple. They're sitting at the table and the man takes a sip from the woman's cup. "Bit crazy, huh?"

"That two people who are, at the very least, engaged – and not to each other – are meeting and kissing? Yes." He pauses. "Six months, huh?"

Bella nods. "I wonder about him more than her. I don't know much about her but the guy – every time he comes in with the blonde, he looks happy and in love. He does things for her, little things, that I always notice."

"Like what?" He glances over her shoulder for a moment before nudging the chair across from him with his foot. "Can you sit?"

"Sure." She pulls the chair out some more and sits, brushing her palms over the edge of the table. "He likes to always touch her somehow – a hand on her back, pushing her hair away from her face – and he always kisses her. They look sweet together." Glancing back at the couple, Bella scrunches her face in confusion. "So do they, though."

"How sweet can they be, though, if they're cheating on other people?"

Bella is silent, unsure of what to say, so she watches him instead. She's noticed him for the past two months, coming in at night with a notebook and a pencil – never a pen – and always ordering a large cappuccino. He's always alone but never looks lonely.

"What about you?" The words tumble out of her mouth. She isn't even sure what she's asking.

"Me? I like to think I'm sweet; my momma says so," he drawls the last part and gives Bella a wide grin. When she doesn't smile back, he tilts his head. "I'm not one to two-time anyone."

"Good," Bella whispers. "That's… That's good."

A stifling tension wraps around them. Edward's smile slowly leaves his face and he picks up what is left of the cupcake – the top part that is still iced. "Thanks for the dessert."

Bella knows a dismissal when she hears one so she gets up and goes back behind the counter. From where she stands, she sees Edward lower his head and begin writing in his notebook. The pencil seems to fly across the page and he pauses only to turn to a blank sheet so he can continue. She wants to know what he's writing, wants to sneak a peek at the words that flutter from his mind to paper.

Every now and then, he'll glance toward the couple at the window. They're facing each other and the man's hand cups the woman's cheek; his thumb strokes her bottom lip and he laughs loudly – maybe _too_ loudly – when her tongue darts out to taste the lingering coffee on his finger.

By the time they leave, Edward's hand hurts, a product of writing too much too fast. As he flexes his fingers, he reads his thoughts.

_What would make a man forget a woman for another? Why do women look elsewhere when they're already in relationships? Is it hurt that drives them to find solace from another person? Is it an act of revenge? What type of person does it take to cheat? Is it the courageous and daredevil-like individuals who want to see how far they can go? Is it the lonely ones who think no one – not even the ones they marry – truly understands them?_

Another laugh, this one light and feminine, breaks through Edward's words. He looks to the counter where Bella is wiping down the glass and shaking her head at a coworker. He's not stupid; he knows she's a curious little thing, always trying to look down into his notebook. Her eyes are always bright like she wants to take everything in. He wonders what she might say in response to his questions.

Before he leaves, he slowly and as quietly as possible rips out a piece of paper, the last one that has his writing on it. He signs his name at the bottom, and after a moment's hesitation, jots down his cell phone number as well. He folds it, writes _Bella_ across the front and leaves it on the table, placing the small plate that once held his cupcake on top of it so it doesn't get lost.

He hopes she'll call him. He hopes she might have an opinion on his thoughts. He hopes he'll get to share _his_ thoughts with her.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to shpwhitney for pre-reading. All mistakes are my own - my apologies!<em>


	8. Formed from Clay

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 8 - daydream  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: PG<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>Her heart pounds in her chest, a heavy thudding against her ribs that echoes in her ears. Her skin feels like it's on fire, the tingle of pins and needles reverberating across her body. She isn't new to this, not at all, but she's nervous today for some reason.<p>

When she knocks on the classroom door, it opens to reveal Marcus Felice, renowned artist and professor at the arts school. He gives her a smile, ushers her into the room and leads her to the small stage at the center of a circle of students. She tries not to look at anyone, doesn't want to make a connection of any sort with anyone, and instead returns Marcus' smile when he helps her onto the stage.

She sheds the robe she was given earlier and the air in the room swirls over her skin in ghostly caresses. Marcus motions for her to lie on the chaise lounge, and silently asks permission to move her naked limbs at well. She signed an agreement form earlier so it's really just a courtesy that he's asking. Cold hands push her down slowly but long fingers halt the movement of her hips so that she's mostly on her stomach with one hip higher than the other. He lifts her arms from beneath and drapes them over the edge of the chair; the movement makes his fingers brush against the side of her breasts but the touch is methodical and barely registers in her mind. Moving down her body, he bends both of her knees and separates her legs a bit before draping a sheet over her backside and down to her calves. She knows she's hidden from view.

Marcus appears in front of her and lifts her chin so that she's staring up at him a little bit. "Too much," he murmurs and leads her face to stare straight ahead. "You can close your eyes if you'd like."

Her eyes shut but she still hears Marcus give instructions to the class. She only half pays attention and so she knows the students will be sculpting the likeness of her body but they don't have to form her true to size. When he says "Begin," she takes a deep breath and finds the place that lets her be still for hours on end. She'll have breaks, of course, but she likes to focus her mind on pleasant dreams because it makes her hold a pose.

Slowly, almost like those old-fashioned camera countdown reels before films, she sees images flicker through her mind. They're silly, really, but the thoughts are always the same, ever since she first started posing for art classes. It's not something she ever _thought_ about doing but she noticed a flier on a bulletin board one day asking for men and women of all races, shapes, and heights to model. Her first assignment had been to pose at a table with her hands folded and her face turned toward an open window.

The love of posing made her come back. It was easy for her to get into a quiet place in her mind so the professors and students appreciated her and thanked her generously. The fee she obtained at the end of a session wasn't terrible either.

Her first nude assignment was for a sketching class when the students only used her as a basic shape rather than draw the details with charcoal. She had been nervous then too.

Those are the images that flicker through her mind like candle flames but the brightest image is one she's wanted ever since a professor told her she had the body of a muse. She wants to walk into a gallery, wants to attend an artist's show, and she wants to see her body in lights. She wants to see a spotlight on a portrait that has her hair flowing down the straightness of her spine. She wants to see the curves of her breasts and hips and thighs come to life in a statue.

She wants to be someone's muse.

If she's being honest, she wants to be the reason a man or woman is showcasing his or her work. She wants to be the reason for someone's pride, wants to hear patrons discussing the details of the art. Would two people discuss the colors used to create the tone of her skin? Would someone's eyes dissect the freckles across her right shoulder? Would another patron's fingers yearn to reach out toward a sculpture to try to understand what she might feel like beneath them?

"Bella?"

Her eyes pop open and Marcus is standing in front of her again.

"Would you mind if the artists mark their stopping points on your body for a break?"

She didn't realize 30 minutes had already passed. "Of course," she agrees.

The points of markers are cold on her body and she can't help but flinch a little.

"Excuse me," a low voice says. Marcus moves out of the way.

The student leans down and mumbles an apology for being in her face. He brings his hand up to her shoulder and all Bella can see are tan traces of clay on his fingers. He presses the marker on her right shoulder and draws a tiny line.

"I wish I could put your freckles in my piece," he says.

"You do?" She looks up to see a pensive look on the man's face. Thin wireframe glasses – glasses that have flecks of clay at the corners – frame green eyes. He nods and gives her a soft smile. "Why?"

"Because they're interesting." He moves the pencil to his left hand and reaches out slowly with his right so she can stop him or move away if she wants to. She doesn't and his touch is warm and inviting. "Right here." His fingers dance over the map of freckles over her skin. "I like the way they seem to be like stars in a galaxy."

She can't help but be somewhat awed at his words. "A poet as well as an artist?"

"Just a regular man with dreams," he corrects her. He trails his hand off of her body but offers it to her for a handshake. "My name is Edward."

"Bella." She slips her hand next to his and feels a tingle shoot through her body when he increases pressure in a firm shake. "It's nice to meet you."

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to oOza for the beta work!<em>


	9. Tension

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 9 - friction  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: PG-13<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>When the caller ID on her phone shows her massage place, Bella sends it to voicemail. They always call the day before her appointment with a reminder and she's in the middle of reading a fantastic novel. Three hours later, she shuts the book and sighs happily before leaning over and clicking off her lamp. The next morning, she runs through her normal routine – quick jog in the neighborhood, breakfast of fruit and low-fat cottage cheese, hot shower, and dress for work.<p>

The day is busy but good. There are contracts to sign, phone calls to make, and fights to be had – especially a somewhat loud and terrible one with Irina who _used_ to be her boss until Kate took Bella onto her team. It was a disconcerting time but she's glad she ended up with Kate.

By the time 5:00 rolls around, all Bella wants is a juicy burger, a milkshake, and her massage with Jacob who seems to have magic hands. Of course, because that's what she _wants_, nothing goes as planned. The massage is scheduled for 7:00 and at 6:30 she's stuck in traffic. When she passes the stalled car in the middle lane, she wants to flip the driver the finger but he looks lost and has a cell phone to his ear so she feels slightly bad for him.

There's no time to eat and she runs into the massage place with only a few minutes to spare. She checks in and pauses when the receptionist says, "Bella Swan. Okay. Edward will be out in just a few minutes."

"Edward? No. My therapist is Jacob."

"Jacob's out today," the girl says after a moment. "It says here you were called last night around… six-thirty with details about cancelling the appointment if necessary."

She feels like an idiot for a second. She _knew_ she should have listened to her voicemail but who has time for that? With a sigh, she nods, feeling defeated. "Edward – is he a good therapist?"

"Of course," she assures Bella. "He just started last week."

"He's new?" New therapists make Bella skeptical. Sure, they've been to classes and have the certification but they don't always have the people skills she likes. She wants to be made comfortable before getting naked on a massage table. She likes being able to relax and not worry about what the therapist might be thinking – like Mike who stared at her after sessions like he was remembering her naked.

"Oh no, not a new therapist – just new at this location. He'll be right out."

Bella knows a dismissal when she hears one so she sits in the one empty leather armchair. Almost as soon as she gets comfortable, the door to the back rooms opens and a tall, attractive – _and_ _hello, sexy_ – man walks out and glances over the customers in the room. He walks up to the front desk and talks to the receptionist for a bit before reaching for a clipboard.

"Bella?" he calls out.

"Hi," she says as she stands.

"Hi, Bella. I'm Edward. Sorry about the mix-up." He shakes her hand – a nice, firm grip that her dad would be proud of – and opens the door for her. "Have you been seeing Jacob long?"

_No, no, no,_ she wants to scream. _I'm not seeing him. Not like that._

"Almost a year," she says aloud. "I just like routine."

He smiles a lopsided grin and gestures for her to enter a dimly lit room. "Well, hopefully tonight won't be too bad. I have your file here but do you want me to focus on any particular area?"

"My back," she blurts out. "And the backs of the legs and thighs. They've been getting tight."

_Oh God, did I say that?_

"Okay, I can help with that." He moves toward the door. "I'll be back in a few minutes. You're going to face down tonight, alright?"

"Okay."

The door shuts behind him and Bella wants to groan. There's no way she'll be able to get comfortable now. She's pretty sure her reaction is due to a lack of sex in her life right now – she refuses to count Eric Yorkie who was drunk and really wanted to bang Paul but couldn't find him – and the fact that Edward is pretty much the epitome of her dream man.

Shedding her clothes, tiny bumps prickle along her arm. It's a little cool in the room but maybe that's a good thing. When she's completely naked and her clothes are folded on the chair, she lifts the white sheet and lies down, shimmying up until she can place her face into the pillow rest. The sheet is only partway up her back so she shivers.

There's a knock and after she says a quick, "Come in," the door opens and Edward is speaking in a low, comforting voice. She's heard it all before – tell him if anything is uncomfortable, if the pressure is okay – so she tunes out the words and focuses on the cadence of his voice.

"Okay, then?" he finishes.

_What did he just say?_

"Um, yes." She hopes that's a good answer.

It must be okay because he fixes the sheet on her back, moving it downward and tucking it beneath her body so that her entire back is exposed. Bella takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

_He's just another therapist,_ she chants in her head. _Calm the fuck down._

She hears him pump oil from a container into his hands, hears the always-awkward sound of him warming up his hands with the oil. His first touch near the top of her back, between her shoulders, makes her jump. Even with the warming oil, his hands are still a little cold.

Each swipe of his hands calms her nerves.

Every pass of his palms over her skin is a balm of relief.

"Harder," she murmurs. "I mean… A little more firm if you can."

He doesn't say anything, just kneads his fingers deeper into her skin until she can feel the fire burning in the chords of muscle and sinew.

When he presses his forearm against the right side of her spine and pushes up, she lets out a small groan of content.

"Are you okay?" he asks softly.

"Mm-hmm," she manages to mumble.

The same thing happens when he works on her left side.

The coolness of the sheet over her back is shocking but then he peels back the fabric from her right leg. With the cool air swirling around the room, her leg twitches and Edward's hand soothes it into position.

His thumb pressing into the arch of her foot makes her eyes close.

His fingers dancing over her ankle make her exhale deeply.

His palms moving up her calves and back down and up again make her mind go blank.

She doesn't feel the way his fingers trace lines up the back of her knee or the way his hands cup the back of her thigh to manipulate the muscles into a sense of relaxation. She jerks slightly when a finger brushes against the black ink on the side of her leg.

_Sleepy_, she thinks. _So sleepy. So good._

"Bella?" A smooth voice interrupts her rest and she hums in response. "Bella, how are you feeling?"

_Good. Very good._

"I'm okay," she manages to say.

"I'm going to step out of the room," Edward tells her. "Take your time getting up and getting dressed. I'll be outside with some water. Okay?"

"Okay."

The door clicks shut.

All she wants to do is lie there in pure bliss.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to oOza for the beta work and the never-ending laughs.<em>


	10. Weekdays

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 10 - insipid  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: R<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>Monday.<p>

Edward wakes up and takes the dog out for a walk. He comes back, fills the white dog bowl with dry food, and washes his hands. A bowl of fruit goes from the refrigerator to the breakfast bar and he eats the entire thing with a fork. A warm shower – and a few minutes of rubbing one out – helps get him ready for the day.

Monday means the dark grey suit with a white button-down and the black tie. He slips his wallet into the inner pocket on the left side of his suit jacket. The drive to work takes half an hour – give or take – with traffic. Jane is already sitting at her desk and she pushes a venti-sized chai latte toward Edward as he walks by with a hello and a thanks.

He works until 12:30, which is when he meets his brother for a sushi lunch at Midori. Emmett gets slightly drunk on too much sake and Edward pays the bill because it's his turn. They separate after a man-hug outside the restaurant.

For the remainder of the workday, Edward responds to e-mails and attends meetings. He leaves at 5:15 and gets stuck in a tiny bit of traffic. The dog is waiting for him when he gets home so he takes her out for another walk. Dinner is chicken and rice and Edward can't help but slip Maggie some of his chicken. After putting the dishes in the dishwasher, he takes another shower because he hates bringing the dirt of the day into bed. Clean and naked, he lounges in bed and turns on the television.

_Dancing with the Stars_ is on so he watches it and wonders why anyone would want to compete with some of the professional dancers. When Kym Johnson appears with her long legs and flat stomach, he debates masturbating but thinks that might be a little too creepy because he isn't sure if Nancy Grace is the next contestant to compete. Instead, he goes to sleep.

He wakes up – hard – and flings his blanket off so there's more room for him to tug at his cock. He remembers to grab some tissue from the bedside table at the last minute; he hates having to wash his sheets before he needs to. He thinks he remembers dreaming about short skirts and long legs but he's not entirely sure. Stumbling into the bathroom, he takes a warm shower – a quick one because he can hear Maggie whining to be let out. While he cooks an egg white omelet, he lets Maggie prance around the yard to do her business.

Tuesday's suit is always a navy blue suit with the tie his mom gave him last Christmas – a royal blue and black striped one. The drive to work takes 25 minutes today and Jane pushes a venti-sized chai latte to him when he passes. She smirks and when he looks at the Starbucks cup, he knows why – his name is in bubble letters with a giant heart next to it. It happens every time Lauren – the college student – works and sees Jane getting Edward's order.

Lunch is eaten in his office. Jane orders in subs and iced tea and they eat during their weekly meeting. It's supposed to be a business meeting but they instead talk about what's happening in Jane's crazy love life and whether or not Edward will ever go on a date again after Rosalie turned him down in a horrible way at the bar four months ago.

"My cousin is coming into town tomorrow. Is it okay if I leave a little early?"

Edward wipes his mouth and swallows the bite of sandwich in his mouth. "Of course. Which cousin?" He's met a few of them over the years whenever one was around during the holiday party and was a guest of hers.

"Bella," she supplies. "You haven't met her yet." She pauses. "You should come with us tomorrow night. We're just going to Pete's around the corner for dinner and drinks."

"Oh, I don't know," he mumbles. He knows what Jane is doing. She's forever trying to set him up and he's not really up for it.

"Think about it," she tells him. She stands and tosses out her garbage. Edward shakes his head when she gives him a wink on her way out.

At 5:15, he leaves. Maggie's almost out of food so he stops at the store and gets home around 6:30 to a dog scratching at the front door. He tells her to stop in a sharp tone but immediately feels bad when Maggie starts whimpering. They go for a quick jog around the block and return to a dinner of canned dog food and a grilled turkey burger with a side salad.

Tuesday nights mean _Biggest Loser_ is on and tonight is the reunion and makeover episode. Edward settles into bed wearing boxers and keeps a box of tissues next to him because he knows he'll cry. He wouldn't ever admit it to anyone but since he's alone it's okay. He cheers when Ramon makes it. At the end, he feels like a giant blob even though he does his best to keep in shape and live a healthy life. He curls up on his side and falls into a restless sleep.

He wakes up to Maggie licking his foot and he almost kicks her in the face. Groggily, he lets her out then returns to his bedroom where he stares longingly at the bed before heading into the bathroom for a warm shower. As he lathers soap over his body, he bumps the back of his hand against a semi-hard cock and though he doesn't really _need_ it, he jacks off and then finishes his shower.

Breakfast for him is toast with light butter and a thin sheen of grape jelly. Breakfast for Maggie is more dry food. He pats her head, stuffs the toast in his mouth, and makes the drive – 40 minutes because of a stupid car accident – to work. His tea is lukewarm by the time he gets it from Jane and she's already on the phone trying to calm down a client that's pissed off because of Edward's tardiness.

After that phone call, the day gets slightly better but it's also stressful and not all of the clients are willing to compromise. For lunch, he runs to the salad place two blocks away. All the workers there know him so his order – a West Palm Shrimp with extra hearts of palm and no avocado – is ready by the time he gets to the register. Back at the office, he eats quickly and finishes up his work. He's not sure where the time goes but he soon hears a squeal outside of his office.

"Oh, it's so good to see you!" Jane's voice is bubbly and excited.

"I know," a sweet voice replies. "I can't believe it's been so long. It's okay that I'm a little early right? Will your boss care?"

Edward's phone rings and he picks it up with a smile. "Go ahead, Jane. I'll close up shop."

"Come with us," she coaxes him. "Seriously."

"Maybe. Go."

He hangs up and listens as Jane rummages around her desk area before waving goodbye to her when she leans her head in. He works for another half an hour and leaves, pausing outside of the building. Jane and her cousin are to his right; his car is to his left. He's not sure what to do. _Criminal Minds_ and _SVU_ are on tonight. Those are his favorite shows of the entire week and it's almost painful to skip it.

Then he realizes how pathetic that makes him sound so he turns to his right and begins the short walk to the bar. He spies Jane and Bella through the window and he freezes when he sees them. Bella is nothing like he thought, mostly because she looks nothing like Jane. He can't help but think she would be a great contestant on _America's Next Top Model_ but then Tyra would probably yell at her for stupid reasons and she looks a little too sweet for that. That makes him think of _Cupcake Wars_.

With a shake of his head, he walks into the bar and makes his way slowly to the girls' table. Jane sees him and waves. Bella turns her head to look over her shoulder and Edward watches as her eyes widen the slightest bit. He feels his brain cells slowly leave him.

"Boss man! You made it!"

"Hey Jane. This must be Bella." He gives her a smile and a wave. "Hey. I'm Edward."

"So I've heard," she says with a smile of her own. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

"Come sit," Jane instructs. She moves over so that the only seat available is next to Bella. He doesn't mind that, though, so he slides in and orders a beer even though he usually only drinks on Fridays and Saturdays.

Conversation is light, easy, but there's an underlying tension between him and Bella, one that he can't ignore when she slides a hand over his forearm in a silent invitation for him to move closer. Hours later, when Jane says they should go, Bella nods slowly and gives Edward a long look that includes her bottom lip snagged between her teeth and an arched eyebrow.

"Bella, uh, did you want to hang out more? I can take you back to… Wherever you need to go tonight."

"Yeah?" She smiles slowly. "I'd like that."

Edward is excited about she wants to stay with him a little longer. He stays out that night until almost midnight and doesn't say no when Bella invites herself back to his place. Maggie tries to attack her but there's only so much the knee-high dog can do. An episode of _Chopped_ is on Food Network when he flips through the channels. It's one he hasn't seen before and it looks interesting even though he's not sure what the secret ingredients are. He ends up not caring when Bella's hands find his shoulders and her lips find his mouth. Fumbling with the remote behind her back, he shuts off the television and falls back onto his bed.

He's pretty sure he won't wake up to walk Maggie the next morning. He'll probably forego his bowl of oatmeal and he'll most likely call Jane and tell her that he's staying home. And if Bella continues what she's doing and is willing in the morning, he won't have to tug on his dick to get off.

Wednesday is his new favorite day.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to oOza for the beta work. We were both a little loopy by the time I finished this and she beta'ed so apologies if either of us missed something!<em>


	11. Worth Fighting For

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 11 – i41[dot]tinypic[dot]com/20l0cnn[dot]jpg  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: PG<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>"Hey, wait! Come back!"<p>

The man ignores her or doesn't hear her – she hopes it's the latter and not the former – and continues walking away from her. She tries to follow him but the Farmers Market is packed. People keep getting in her way and the crowd thickens. No matter how much she tries to push them aside, they keep multiplying until she's just tired.

"Come back!" she calls again. She feels like Rose in that stupid _Titanic_ movie that's not really historical at all but she can't reach him. His tall frame is easy to find in the crowd and it's the one thing that keeps her moving. Bronze hair that glints in the sunlight catches her eyes with every step he takes.

"Excuse me. Excuse me!" She elbows people aside and they give her blank stares like they don't understand what her problem is. Some of them look like they want to say something to her but when their mouths start to open, they seem to think better of it and turn away.

"Hey," someone says from her right side. She turns and sees a short and pretty woman, fixing items on a display space in a stall absentmindedly. "Come back, okay?"

"What?"

"When you're done in there, Bella, come back."

She wants to ask questions but the girl's eyes shut as though she's holding back tears.

"I will," she promises because she just wants to leave the woman to her own devices and keep following the man. He intrigues her.

She moves away from the stall and turns her head every which way until she sees his face. He's staring at her, green eyes dark with affection and need. The left side of his mouth quirks up into a smirk and then he begins walking away from her again.

"No, wait!"

Bella keeps plowing through the crowds and keeps following him until she looks around and realizes that she's walked a long way from the market. She can still hear the murmurings of the crowd behind her but something stops her from looking back. Instead, she focuses only on the space in front of her, a space that looks like it goes into a cluster of trees at the edge of a forest.

He appears in front of her so suddenly that she stumbles back a few steps. His hand is warm on her cheek and he stares down at her intensely. Her heart flutters wildly, which makes him frown.

"What is it?" he asks.

"What's what?"

He doesn't answer. He turns and flees from her, checking over his shoulder once to see if she'll follow. Something tugs at her stomach, at her chest, and she runs after him again. This time, it's not people in her way, but tree roots that make her trip and branches that leave tiny cuts across her skin. They don't hurt as much as she thinks they will but all the running is making her feel sore.

She pauses when she reaches a small clearing. The man is nowhere to be found and her emotions dip down. She likes seeing him, likes chasing after him. As annoying as it is, it's like a game. She's not sure what will happen if she ever catches him but she knows it might be something grand.

"Hello?" she calls out. "Are you here?"

"I'm right here," a smooth voice tells her but it seems to be coming from all around her, an echo that reverberates in the air and in her body. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes!" she yells out. "Where are you?"

"I'll wait," he tells her. "I'll wait forever."

A shadow passes her eyesight toward the left and she bolts that way without thinking. A cacophony of sounds breaks through the serenity of the meadow and she winces. She doesn't like it and is about to run the other way when she spies him again. He's leaning on a tree, giving her a hopeful smile. Slowly, he lifts an arm up and out toward her, as though beckoning her forward. There is something about him that makes her heart flutter, makes the hair on her body stand on end.

With excitement bubbling in the pit of her stomach, she rushes toward him. The ground suddenly falls beneath her and then she's wet. Confused, she looks around to realize she's fallen into a river, the water rushing past her and making her lose her balance.

"Come on," he calls to her. "You can do it. I know you can do it."

He sounds so confident even though she's not sure. It would be so easy to get swept away in the river. The water is cool and rejuvenates her body, taking away the soreness of her muscles. She wants to stop fighting against the current but he's right there, on the riverbank, crouched down and holding out his right hand for her. The sight of him waiting urges her to push forward but for every step closer, it seems that the current becomes stronger. More than once, she slips and almost falls completely underwater. She has to fight to breathe and the taste of the water in her mouth is foul.

"I can't," she whispers but he seems to hear her.

"You can. I know you can. Come back. Please."

He's so close. She reaches out her hand and almost gasps when his fingers close around hers. He's so full of warmth, full of life, and then she slips out of his grasp and her head dips completely beneath the surface of the river.

Bella gasps and her eyes fly open. A beeping sound filters around her and she darts her eyes back and forth. Warm fingers stroke the back of her hand and she looks to her left to see him. He looks tired, like he hasn't slept for days, but there's a small smile on her lips.

"You," she breathes out.

"You had me worried for a few hours," he says. "You were touch and go for a while." He takes a deep breath and rubs her left ring finger with his thumb. "I was so scared."

"You saved me."

He pauses. "Do you remember what happened?"

"I followed you here. Right?"

"I should call the doctor," he frets. He lifts a hand to his hair and she sees a glint of metal on his finger. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Wait!" she calls out to him. He stops pulling away from her. "What's your… I mean… Who are you?"

He lets out a shaky breath and shuts his eyes tightly. "You don't… I'm… They said you might… Oh God."

"Are you okay?" she asks. She wants to soothe him, wants to take him in her arms and comfort him. He's so agitated suddenly.

"Edward," he says, his eyes still closed. "My name is Edward."

"Oh. That's a nice name." She hopes that will make him smile but when he opens his eyes, they're watery. "Why are you crying?"

"Do you know where you are?" he asks her. "Do you know your name?"

She thinks. Her brain seems to be working at half-speed but she muddles through her scatter thoughts. "Bella," she finally answers. "I'm Bella Swan. Right?"

A sob escapes his mouth.

"What? Am I wrong?"

"You _were_ Bella Swan," he says quietly.

"Were?"

He reaches into his pocket and holds out his hand. Resting in his palm are two rings – one with a sapphire surrounded by diamonds and a band with diamond dust all over it.

"What are those?" she asks.

"Your rings," he whispers. "You've been Bella _Cullen_ for the past year."

She gawks at him.

"You're my wife."

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to oOza for the beta work.<em>


	12. Falling Out

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 12 – i40[dot]tinypic[dot]com/x0sj28[dot]jpg  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward, Charlie  
>Rating: G<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>He climbs the tree slowly, making sure his feet are secure before heaving himself higher up. The branch isn't that far up and it only takes him a few minutes. With a sigh, Edward perches there like a giant bird. This is his haven, his safe spot, for when he wants to get away from his parents and sister. They've been unbearable lately. His mother keeps asking him about Homecoming and whether he should be looking at tuxes. His father is harping on him about applying Early Action or Early Admission to some schools, especially Harvard and Johns Hopkins. Alice is just being her normal 12-year-old self and won't stop following him around the house, begging for him to take her to the mall so she can meet with her friends.<p>

Chief Swan walks out of the house and gets into the patrol car. He doesn't see Edward, who watches the car disappear down the street. It would have been fine if he saw Edward there; it's not his first time and it won't be his last. Edward remembers the first time the Chief saw him up in the tree. He almost shot him down since he thought Edward was some sort of burglar. That was a laugh.

Popping in a set of headphones, Edward thumbs his iPod to play some Gavin DeGraw. It's soothing music and he likes it but he'd never let anyone know. Emmett, who is all about the rap and R&B and dance remixes, would make fun of him, and his girlfriend would roll her eyes and say that women made better singer-songwriters than men. He likes Gavin though, likes the way his voice is smooth and distinct. Edward shuts his eyes and leans his head back against the trunk of the tree. Pieces of bark are sure to follow him on his journey back home but for now he doesn't care.

He's so lost in the music and his jumbled thoughts that he doesn't hear the car pull into the driveway, loud against the gravel. He also doesn't see the girl get out of the car and walk toward his tree in curiosity. What he _does_ notice, though, is that she throws a well-loved white teddy bear toward him.

"Um, hi," he says after yanking the earbuds out of his ear. "Can I help you?"

"Can I help _you_?" she asks back. "You're sitting in my tree."

"Your tree?"

"Yep. It's been mine since I moved here to be with my dad."

"Your dad?"

"Charlie Swan."

Edward's mouth drops open. "The Chief has a _daughter_?"

With just two motions – one is to stand on the branch, the other is to jump down – Edward finds himself on his back. He blinks up at her owlishly.

"Um, yeah," she answers slowly. "I'm Bella Swan. I've been away at school. Who are you, exactly? And are you okay?"

He loses his train of thought for a second. He's still baffled that the Chief has a daughter. No one's ever mentioned it. Hell, he didn't even know the Chief had ever been married. All he knows is what he's seen every now and then with Sue Clearwater – canoodling and whatnot.

He's also really confused that he somehow tripped _after_ he was back on solid ground.

"But Sue with the canoodling," he blurts out.

Bella starts giggling. "Canoodling?"

"My mom uses that word a lot," he mumbles his explanation.

"Your mom." She raises her eyebrows. "Well, Momma's Boy, my dad's been dating Sue for a couple of years now."

"Momma's Boy?"

The sound of sirens comes closer until it stops in front of the house and tires on gravel echo. A car door slams. "Bells? Bells, where are you?"

"Back here, Dad!" she yells out.

Charlie Swan skids to a stop near the house and stares at the two of them. "Edward. What happened, kid?"

Edward lifts his head and winces. "Oh, hey, Chief. I fell out of the tree – Bella's tree, apparently."

"Huh."

"I didn't know you had a daughter."

"Of course you don't," he says gruffly. "It's not like you ever talk to me."

A frown mars Edward's face. "With all due respect, sir, cops scare me."

"You're a high school kid, Edward. I'm supposed to scare you." He walks closer and crouches down. "You hurt?"

"No, sir."

"I need to call a medic?"

"No, sir."

"Then why are you still down there?"

"Bella told me to stay down, sir."

"You always do what a woman says?"

"Well, sir, I thought she'd know best in this situation."

Bella giggles again. "You really _are_ a Momma's Boy." She holds out her hand and Edward appreciates her help. "Edward, huh? Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, well," he says again. He lifts a hand to the back of his neck and rubs back and forth.

Charlie looks at Bella, then Edward, then Bella, then Edward. "Well, Bells, I'm not sure what you needed me for."

She gives her father an incredulous look. "There was a _boy_ in the _tree_ outside of my _room_. I think that's a legitimate cause for concern."

"He's harmless."

"I'm right here," Edward interjects.

"How was I supposed to know he was harmless?"

"Maybe if you'd told me you were coming home, I woulda been able to tell you about the kid that uses that tree."

"There is so much wrong with that statement."

Edward shifts. "Maybe I should go." He starts to hedge away.

"No, wait." Bella grabs his arm, halting him. She gives her father a dirty look. "Why do you go up there?"

"To, uh, to get away, I guess."

She pauses and glances at her dad. "Senior year?"

"Yeah."

After a moment's hesitation, she tilts her head to the side. "You have a car?"

"Nah."

"C'mon then."

"Hey, hey, where are you two going?" Charlie stops them.

"Not far," Bella promises. "Sorry I called you out of work."

Charlie shakes his head but walks with them toward the cars in the driveway. "Good to have you back, Bells."

After he leaves, Bella points to her car. "I wanna show you something."

"Is that college speak for 'I'm gonna kill you' or something?" Edward smirks when he says it because Bella looks like she wouldn't even hurt an ant.

She rolls her eyes in response. "Come on, Momma's Boy. I'll show you a place to escape to that won't potentially kill you." She looks at him before getting into the driver's side. "And that won't freak me the fuck out."

Edward slides into the car. "So… You'll be around for a while, then?"

Bella starts the car and backs out of the driveway. After a few minutes of silence, she nods. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll be around for a while."

"You sound upset."

She glances over at him briefly. "You seem like a good kid."

"Thanks?"

"You a good listener?"

"I can be, yeah."

"Then maybe I'll tell you why I'm home one day."

Edward leans back in his seat. "You can tell me while I'm in your tree."

She laughs and the sound bounces around in the small space. "I think this new place might be better for conversation – safer."

"If you say so."

"Trust me." She grins and he can't help but smile back. There's something about her that makes him believe she might understand what he's going through.

_It would be nice_, he thinks, _to have someone new to talk to._

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to oOza for the beta work because lord knows this one needed it. I'm still not sure what the point of this one-shot was. I'm still not sure what the heck I wrote over the course of 12ish hours.<em>


	13. The Start of Something New

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 13 – i41[dot]tinypic[dot]com/16i7j28[dot]jpg  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward, Jasper  
>Rating: R<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>Detective Jasper Whitlock stares at the girl in front of him. She wrings her hands together, fingers twisting over fingers, locking and releasing. He stays silent and stares at her while she hesitantly reaches for the glass of water in front of her. The sip she takes is small but she holds the glass to her lips and breathes heavily, causing the glass to fog up around her mouth.<p>

"Miss Swan."

She jumps slightly and the glass slams back down on the table. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she mumbles. Water sloshes over the rim and splashes against her hand.

"Miss Swan, I'd like to go over tonight."

"Again?" she asks quietly. They've already asked her to describe the events of the night twice. Everything is starting to blur together and all she wants to do is go home. Her only problem right now is that she's not entirely sure where _home_ might be. For the past summer, she's been staying with a man who, up until tonight, she thought she could trust even if he scared her a little bit. Now, she's not sure _what_ to think.

"Last time," Detective Whitlock promises. "Where were you at six o'clock tonight?"

"I was leaving the corner store by my boyfriend's house. I don't know the name, which is stupid, I know, but it's always just been 'the corner store' to me."

"Diablo's," the detective tells her. It's the first time he's said the name of the store.

"Yeah, okay."

"What happened after you left?"

"I went to James' place. He lives on Porter Street."

"And what did you find?"

Bella swallows and begins fidgeting. "There was a party going on."

Detective Whitlock stares at her hard. "You said before you didn't know there was going to be a party."

"I didn't!"

"Do you live with James Graeson?"

"Yes," Bella whispers.

"Yet you didn't know there was going to be a party in your house."

"I just stay there," she insists. "James lets me stay there because I –"

Her eyes drop to the table and she tries to stop the angry and frightened tears from falling. She hates this, hates her situation, hates that James has kept her in the dark for so long. She doesn't know what will happen after they release her from questioning – _if_ they release her.

"Because you what, Miss Swan?" the detective prods.

"Because I don't have anywhere else to stay," she finishes in a strangled tone. "He lets me stay there and we, I mean he, no, I mean that we're together."

A stinging silence grows in the room, a harsh tension that makes Bella feel like she's a live wire.

"So there was a party," Detective Whitlock states after a moment. "What did you see when you walked into said party?"

At his words, Bella starts to cry. She can't help it.

"Miss Swan?"

"I didn't know!" she cried out. "I didn't know, I swear I didn't know."

"What didn't you know?" he asked her in a quiet and soothing tone.

"There were so many people. I didn't know even a quarter of them. They were there, just… God, it was like a bad pornographic movie." She knows she sounds stupid, calling it a _pornographic movie_ but abbreviating it will make it sound even sleazier.

"What did you see?"

"Girls," she says before letting out a sob. "Drugs. Blood. Guns. More girls."

The tears keep coming and she doesn't know what to do or what to say. The images from earlier flash in her mind – the wasted girls sprawled across the floor and over couches, some with red lines running down their arms; the guy holding a gun to a girl's head while he watched as his friend fucked her from behind; the groups gathered around the coffee table, the one _she_ brought from her apartment before she got kicked out for not paying rent, snorting cocaine.

"Miss Swan, you claim you had no idea what your boyfriend was doing or that he was running what is one of the largest drug and prostitution rings this country has seen in years."

"I didn't!" she insists.

"But you lived there!" Detective Whitlock's voice grows louder with each word until the shouts reverberate in her ears.

"I only went there to sleep!" she claims. "Or when he said he wanted me there."

"You just said you had nowhere else to go."

"I work at a diner – Little Rockets, the one down by the beach. I try to spend as much time there as possible – extra shifts, free meals. Please. I _swear_ I wasn't part of whatever James was doing – is doing – I don't even know."

Detective Whitlock moves to stand by the window and he pinches the bridge of his nose as he tries to keep calm. It's obvious to him that Bella Swan is telling the truth but she has to know _something_. He _needs_ her to know something.

He also needs her safe if she _does_ know.

"Miss Swan," he says her name in a calmer tone. "Is there _anything_ you remember from your time with James Graeson that might have led you to even _think_ he was doing something illegal?"

She swallows and stares up at him with wide, scared eyes.

"_Anything_, Miss Swan."

She shakes her head back and forth slowly with her eyes closed. There is so much flowing through her mind that she can't focus on any one particular thing. She wants to help the police department, she does. Charlie was a police officer before…

"My dad's old car," she says suddenly.

"What was that?"

"James 'bought,'" she says as she lifts her hands to form quotation marks with her fingers, "my dad's old car from me, said he needed it even though he had his bike."

"What did he need it for?" Detective Whitlock sounds dubious.

Bella shakes her head but she's thinking hard. "He kept it at a girl's place. I heard them arguing once when I… when I wasn't supposed to be at the house. Victoria Mortson."

Detective Whitlock's head whips around to stare at Bella.

"He told her the car was for her use. That it was still registered under my name so no one would ever trace it back to her."

"Do you know what they needed the car for?" he presses.

She hears him but she can't answer him directly. She's too busy attempting to make sense of the hazy images in her mind. The Ford wasn't old but it wasn't the newest car by the time Charlie died and it was passed on to her. After James gave her a place to stay for the summer in exchange for the car, she didn't want to think about it anymore, didn't want to see it. The car was one of the last things she owned that kept her connected to her parents and giving it up hurt more than she ever imagined.

Even as she chastises herself for giving the car up, the images become clearer in her mind, as though _finally_ thinking about it causes her to remember little details that she had hidden away with the Ford's image. She remembers seeing James and Victoria exchange money, remembers a phone call to Black's Garage and then she thinks about the time the garage's owner, Jacob, brought the car over for James to inspect. It was still black but there was something different about it. She knew that car like the back of her hand and the sun was glinting on it strangely. When Jacob popped open the trunk, she remembers noticing that the carpet is different. She also remembers the way James yelled at her to _get the fuck inside_.

He had been brutal that night, taking her over and over until she felt like she couldn't move. She hadn't tried to stop him and when he was done, she'd curled up on her side and shut her eyes. Hours later, his phone had blared and she overheard the conversation he had in the bathroom.

"Mexico," she breathes out as the memory opens up completely, practically in Technicolor in her head. "They wanted to use it to bring drugs over the border."

Detective Whitlock curses under his breath. "Do you know where the car is _now_?"

Her head bobs up and down in a hurried nod. Now that she remembers, it's like the words are falling from her mouth on their own accord. "If it's not at Victoria's, it will be at Black's Garage. It's the only place they ever went for their cars and bikes. They kept some there in storage or something."

"Miss Swan," he says her name again, slowly and cautiously, and her body prickles at the seriousness in his tone. She's no longer full of information; she feels like she's about to shut down again. "I'm going to send someone out to both of those places to look for that car. If we find it and can find evidence of James' actions somehow, there is a good chance you will be considered a witness to his crimes. Do you understand?"

"I… Yes. I think so."

"Miss Swan, would you be willing to testify against James Graeson?"

Her heart thuds a fast tattoo against her chest. She knows what's happening. She's seen Charlie in situations like this more than once; it was what caused fear to seize her body every time Charlie left for a trial. The fear covered her face.

"If you agree to testify, Miss Swan, you will be protected at all costs. You won't be alone. No one will be able to find you unless you want to be found."

"Okay," she says softly. She thinks of Charlie and how he died in the line of duty. She thinks of Renee who died less than a year later for no apparent reason though Bella is sure it was of a broken heart. She thinks of the years trying to make it, trying to stay alive, but watching her money dwindle down to nothing. She thinks of James and his steel gray eyes that reeled her in, made her trust him, and she thinks of tonight.

"Okay," she repeats. "I'll testify." Her voice shatters on the last syllable.

"You're doing the right thing, Miss Swan. I'll be right back."

_Right back_ is an exaggeration. For two hours, Bella sits in the interrogation room. Someone brings her a sandwich and her stomach growls at the sight of it so she eats the ham and cheese even though it tastes like sandpaper in her mouth.

When the door opens again, Detective Whitlock enters, this time with a tall man in a suit behind him. Bella can't help but lean back in her chair as if she's trying to get away from the both of them.

"Miss Swan, I want you to meet Edward Cullen. He's the FBI agent that has been assigned to your case."

"My case?" she asks weakly.

"Agent Cullen will keep you safe until all the evidence against James Graeson is found and until the trial." Detective Whitlock turns to the man whose eyes are almost blank as he studies Bella. "I trust you understand how important her safety is, Agent Cullen."

His gaze moves down Bella's body and back up though it's not one of attraction. When their eyes lock, he gives them both a grim smile.

"I understand completely."

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to oOza for the beta work and Vampire_Extraordinaire &amp; shpwhitney for pre-reading.<em>


	14. Smile

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 14 – i41[dot]tinypic[dot]com/2hpnddw[dot]jpg  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward, Jacob  
>Rating: PG<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>The tiny bell above the door rings as someone walks in. Bella ignores the sound and continues clicking on the photos on her iMac. She pauses on one, a young girl facing the camera though her body is turned to the right. In a sleeveless dress, her chin meets the curve of her shoulder. It should be a cute photograph but Bella can't stand the tension in the girl's arm.<p>

"Hey, Bells," Jake calls as he walks toward the back office. "I have your iced coffee – French vanilla, light and sweet."

Bella smiles her thanks to her assistant and reaches out for the cup. "What's next on my schedule?"

Faintly, she hears Jake flip through the black book at the corner of her desk. Her appointments are on the computers, a synced calendar between her own in the back office and the front iMac that Jake uses, but she likes having a physical book with handwritten names.

"Headshots for an Edward Cullen," he says after a minute or two. "Has he come in before?"

"Um," Bella draws out the syllable, trying to figure out why the name sounds so familiar. "Oh! No. He called about a month ago, said he needed new photos for his bio."

"His bio?" Jake cleans up the area a little bit. While Bella is meticulous in the studio itself, her desk is prone to scattered papers and folders full of samples for her clients. "What bio?"

"He's some actor on Broadway," she explains absently. She's still trying to find a better photograph of this girl but there's something _off_ with all of them. There are more than enough to show her and she knows the girl will be happy with them but she was hoping to find a new addition to her portfolio or website.

More shuffling sounds and Bella glances up to see Jake filling out the forms she likes to keep for clients. "Recommended?"

"By Alice Brandon," she says before looking back to the layout of photos on her screen.

Jake pauses and can't help the smile from forming on his lips. "The little dancer?"

"Head out of the gutter, Jacob," Bella quips quickly.

The tiny bell above the door rings again. A few moments pass and then a questioning, "Hello?"

"Go do your job," Bella instructs Jake but there's a teasing smile on her face. "I'll be out in just a sec."

When she walks out to the main portion of her studio, she pauses briefly to stare at the young man standing by the front counter. He's tall, broad-shouldered, slender but muscled. Bella's mouth twists slightly when she sees the tangled mop of hair at his head but her clients are always told to come in ready for photographing so if that's how he wants his hair to look, that's how it will stay.

"Edward?" she calls his name as she walks forward. The low heels of the cowboy boots she has on clicks against the hardwood floor. "I'm Bella Swan. How are you today?"

"Hello," he says. His voice is soft, smooth. "I'm doing well, thank you." He puts the pen down on top of the questionnaire he's filling out – one that Bella will keep in a folder just in case he becomes a returning client – and reaches out to grasp the hand she holds out. His grip is strong and firm; it eludes confidence and power. "Thank you for agreeing to this session. Alice told me how busy you get, especially around this time."

Bella can't help but smile at his manners. She's met more than one actor who barely knew how to say _hello_ and _thank you_.

"I had the opening," she says flippantly. Her eyes move up and down his body critically. He's wearing a pair of jeans that are fashionably torn in some areas and a black tee shirt with the Jack Daniels logo splashed across the front. "Is that what you're wearing?" she asks dubiously.

The chuckle he lets out is warm and almost inviting. "No, of course not." He waves a hand toward a rack by the door. Bella has it set there for those clients who want more than one look. Hanging on it now is a dark gray garment bag, RALPH LAUREN printed across the front. "I brought something to change into. I was running errands earlier and didn't want to look disheveled."

"Disheveled?" Jake snorts. "Who says that?"

"Jacob," Bella says his name sharply. As much as she agrees that the word isn't one often used in conversation, she doesn't want Edward to think they're rude.

Edward, though, just laughs again. "I know, I know. My dad says it a lot. That and preposterous. I tend to use them too." He grins at both Bella and Jake. "Is there somewhere I can change?"

"Jake," Bella gives him instructions just by saying his name.

As her assistant leads Edward to the medium-sized bathroom in the loft, she walks over to a locked closet. After fishing the key out of her boot, she opens the door and studies the cameras that sit on their shelves. She's not exactly sure what type of look Edward would like but _she_ knows what will work with his look. While he was talking earlier, she had studied the lines of his face and the form of his body.

"He said he'd be out in a few minutes," Jake says breezily as he returns to Bella's side. "Which backdrop are you thinking?"

Bella reaches out and grabs two of her cameras, loving the weight of them in her hands. She hands one to Jake whose heart beats double-time just like it does every time he holds one of her expensive cameras. She reaches for another one and Jake makes a surprised sound.

"What?" she asks him while she shuts the closet door with her foot and walks to a long table set by the windows.

"You're using film for him?"

It's rare for her to use film now, at least for her work. As much as she loves sequestering herself in a dark room, it takes longer than necessary and she can't do as much editing for her clients as they'd like. Edward, she believes, wouldn't mind.

"Just a few shots," she replies. "I want to see how they turn out."

The sound of footsteps interrupts the conversation. Bella turns and can't help but smile in approval when she sees Edward wearing a pair of fitted trousers – black with faint white pinstripes – and a white button-down. The sleeves are rolled up to his elbows and the top few buttons are undone, giving him a casual look that doesn't scream out, _Slob!_

"Much better," she tells him with a smile.

"Hey, I know how to clean up." He steps closer. "So, where should I go?"

Bella stares at him, glances at Jake, and then narrows her eyes at the series of backdrops against the far wall. She repeats her looks until she lets out a sigh. "You're not opposed to the outdoors, are you?"

"Uh, no?"

"Bells?"

"Jake, can you set up the balcony? One chair by the corner so the light is behind _me_ and going down on him. I want everything else cleared."

Jake nods and heads to the balcony. The sound of furniture scraping on concrete is sharp but Bella ignores it and sets up her cameras. After a few minutes, she motions for Edward to follow her and she sets him up on the chair.

"Headshots only, yes?" she confirms.

"Yeah?" Edward's knee bounces up and down, up and down. "I mean, that's what I _need_. I wasn't sure if there would be time for more."

Bella nods. "We'll start with headshots and see how much of the hour is left. Okay?"

"Okay, sure."

"Great." She moves to stand a few feet away from him and brings the camera up to her eye. She takes a few test shots and nods after fiddling with the settings a bit more. "I want natural, Edward. I don't want the 'serious and broody' face that so many actors think make a headshot. Smiles are good. Trust me."

The first smile he gives her is clearly what Bella calls 'the actor smile to fans.' It's the one any actor gives someone who squeals in his or her face or the one any actor would give to a member of the press. Lowering the camera, Bella reaches out and tugs down on Edward's chin. The smile disappears.

"What makes you happy?" she asks.

"What do you mean?"

"What makes you smile and forget the problems of your life exist?" she prods him.

He thinks for a moment. "My siblings," he answers with a note of finality. "They remind me who I am."

Bella lifts the camera back up to her eye and focuses the lens. "I want you to think about them. When's the last time you saw them?" She sees Edward about to answer and stops him quickly. "No, no, don't tell me. Just think about the last time you saw them. What were you guys doing? What were you feeling?"

Edward's brows furrow for a second and then they smooth out. The last time he saw Rosalie, she'd just given birth to a son. He had visited her in the hospital and kissed her forehead right before she'd handed him his new nephew.

She doesn't think he realizes it but Bella watches as Edward's face loosens up and starts shining. There's a sparkle in his eyes as he remembers whatever it is he's remembering. The corners of his mouth move upward in a soft smile. With the midday sun lighting his face naturally, he looks beautiful, almost ethereal.

_Click_.

"Perfect," she murmurs.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to oOza for the beta work.<em>


	15. I Can't

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

_Please note that this story contains what may be a trigger for some readers regarding pregnancies and terminations._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 15 – i39[dot]tinypic[dot]com/33xwv4h[dot]jpg  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: R<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>Bella stares at the object in her hand before turning her gaze to the similar objects scattered over the bathroom counter. Her hands shake as a myriad of thoughts bullet through her. Air can't seem to find its way down to her lungs no matter how deep she gulps it in. Her free hand – her left hand – comes up to swipe at the wetness beneath her eyes but when the tears don't stop, she just covers her mouth with her palm as though that will help her breathe.<p>

"Bells? You okay in there?" Charlie's voice calls through the bathroom door and her heart beats a frantic tattoo against her chest. He knocks against the door.

"Fine!" she calls out. "I just… Need a moment."

There is a long pause before Charlie says back, "Alright, well I'm heading down to the precinct. Be good, okay?"

"Okay." Her voice trembles but she knows he won't hear it. She listens as his footsteps walk away and clomp down the stairs before disappearing completely.

When she knows she's alone again, she lets the cries come harder. This can't be happening. Her life is just beginning. The letter from UBS arrived yesterday, asking her to join the team once she graduated. Her appointment with the Dean of Business is scheduled for the following Thursday to go over her credits and make sure she can walk in three months.

But the two lines on the test stare up at her, practically glare at her. Every single one of the tests on the counter shows the same thing. She thought maybe she had messed up the first two times when she just peed directly on the stick but then she forced herself to pee in a cup and dunked the stupid things in there and they still told her the same thing.

Pregnant.

She's only 21.

This isn't what she planned, what she wanted. She's not even sure when it happened. It's not that she spreads her legs for any guy that comes along but she's in college, in the city, and she likes to live as freely as she can while still living with her father to save some money.

"Idiot," she mumbles. Then she says it louder and louder until she's screaming at herself in the mirror. "Idiot! Idiot! You're a fucking idiot, Bella!"

She yells until her voice is hoarse and she can't see through the blur of tears. When she finally stops, her hands splay over the counter, the marble-like material cold beneath her palms. Her breathing is heavy. Her body is moving up and down as she rocks back and forth on the heels of her feet. It's like her body is on fire or is being electrocuted. The more she thinks about her dilemma, the more she worries. Tiny bumps prickle down her arm, a wave of nerves that brush over her skin. Her skin is pale against the grayish color of the counter.

In a single instant, she shoots her head up, her eyes moving from her hands back to the mirror. "Get it together, Bella," she whispers.

Like a switch has been turned on inside of her, Bella moves on autopilot. In her bedroom, she turns on her computer and does quick research on the closest Planned Parenthoods. She doesn't know what she wants to do but she needs to make sure she's pregnant from a doctor, not just a stick – or six. She doesn't want to go to one that's too close because then Charlie will find out. After writing a quick note to Charlie in case he comes home early, Bella gets into her car and drives, following directions from her phone.

By the time she pulls into the parking lot, her nerves have calmed somewhat. Her mind is still whirling with thoughts she wishes would go away but her body no longer feels like it's going to fall apart. Her steps to the front door are measured and even. The waiting room is less than half full and there are still a few hours until the office's posted closing time so she hopes they'll be able to see her. If they can't, she'll at least be able to set up an appointment.

They _can_ fit her in though the receptionist tells her that it may be a while. That's fine with her. Before she goes to sit in one of the chairs, she quietly asks if there are any pamphlets available regarding _the choices_ she has regarding a surprise pregnancy. There is a moment of silence as the receptionist studies her for a second. Without answering, she turns back to the computer and begins typing. Bella stares at her and is confused. The receptionist picks up the phone and speaks quickly and quietly for a moment.

"Miss Swan?"

"Yes?" Bella practically spits out the word, feeling jumpy and on edge now.

"Dr. Cullen has free time right now," she says softly. "He's one of our resident psychologists. He'd be happy to go over your choices if you'd like."

"But I… I only took an at-home… I don't even…"

"Breathe," the girl says. "It's okay. He's very easy to talk to, I promise."

Bella takes a deep breath. "Okay. Okay, thank you."

The receptionist smiles at her and stands, disappearing from her view for a few seconds before she reappears in the doorway leading to the back offices. "This way, Miss Swan."

Following her down the hallway, Bella feels her nerves acting up again. Her entire body feels like it's thrumming. She imagines an old man raising an eyebrow at her for being stupid enough to get pregnant. It's stupid to think that – well, the stupid part; she can't be the only person who's ever done this.

"Here you are."

Bella looks up and realizes she's standing in front of a plain brown door with a CULLEN nameplate. She watches as the receptionist knocks twice and hears a soft, "Come in."

"Go ahead." A hand on her shoulder is comforting. "Good luck. Whatever you choose is right."

Bella watches the girl disappear back down the hall before taking a deep breath. The doorknob is cool on her skin and it turns easily. "Doctor Cullen?"

He's sitting behind a desk but stands when Bella walks in. He's younger than she imagined – a _lot_ younger than she imagined – but his smile is kind. "Isabella Swan, yes?"

"Bella," she corrects quickly. "I'm sorry I didn't have an appointment."

He shakes her hand and notices the shaking. "You don't have to be nervous. We're just here to talk."

"Right. Of course. I'm sorry, Doctor Cullen."

"Edward." His smile widens, causing the skin around his eyes to crinkle. "Please call me Edward. I feel it makes patients feel a bit more comfortable with me." He gestures to the chairs in front of his desk. "Please sit." Bella does. "Now, what brings you here?"

Bella takes a deep breath. "I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant."

"Pretty sure?"

She nods. "I haven't been in to see a doctor yet to confirm but I… I took a bunch of home pregnancy tests and I'm… I'm pretty sure I am."

"Okay," he says. There's no judgment in his eyes and he doesn't look like he's going to yell at her. He doesn't even ask about the circumstances around the possible pregnancy. "Do you know your options?"

"Sort of," she answers quietly. She drops her head and stares at her hands placed on her lap. Her fingers wring together nervously. Edward doesn't say anything so Bella looks up. She licks her lips and clears her throat. "I think I want to have an abortion."

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to oOza for the beta work.<em>


	16. Walk on Air

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 16 – lavish  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward, Emmett, Jasper  
>Rating: PG-13<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>He is beautiful, breathtaking really, in the black pants that were tailored exactly for him. Bella watches as Jasper tries to knot his tie. The crease between his eyebrows shows his aggravation so Bella walks into the dressing area while calling his name. He looks up and relief shows over his face.<p>

"Oh thank God you're here. I can't get this right."

Bella shakes her head and stands in front of him, making him bend down so she can fix the tie. This isn't part of her job, not really, but she's grown close to Jasper during the months of his civil union to Emmett. They arrived at her office and told her they wanted to marry in five months. She had stared at them in shock and almost turned it down but then Jasper handed her a check that made her eyes bulge, especially when he said that was the deposit for her services.

She wasn't stupid.

"Why so nervous?" she asks as she pats his pressed white shirt and steps away from him. "You're not getting cold feet, are you?" When he stands to his full height, she can barely reach his shoulders but she smoothes down the perfect Windsor knot at the base of his neck while standing on her toes.

"Hell, no," he shoots back with a laugh. "I'm ready; just can't help but think about what might go wrong."

Bella's hands fly to her hips and she glares at him playfully. "Do you doubt my skills?"

Jasper's laugh is loud. "Of course not."

"Then you have _nothing_ to worry about," she states firmly. "Everything is ready. The runner is set up, the chairs are all in their lines, the violinist arrived on time."

"I'm just freaking out a little bit. I want everything perfect for him, for _us_."

"It _will_ be," Bella assures him. "Stop worrying."

"Yes, please stop worrying," a high-pitched voice says from the doorway. Bella looks over to see Alice, already dressed in her champagne-colored tea dress and four-inch heels. "Sorry I'm late. Traffic was a _bitch_."

Bella smiles. "I'm going to check on Emmett. You'll be okay?" she asks Jasper.

He nods in response. Already, he's focused on Alice who has been his best friend for years and is standing next to him today to bear witness to his union. Despite her exuberant personality, she manages to calm Jasper down in times like this.

Emmett is in the first floor bedroom. Well, he's _supposed_ to be in the first floor bedroom but there's only one person there when Bella arrives and she has no idea who he is.

"Um, hello?" she calls to him. "Can I help you?"

He turns and the beauty that turns toward her momentarily blinds Bella. Tall and slim, his gray suit frames his body neatly. He looks confused for a moment, almost dumbfounded.

"Can I help you?" she repeats.

He manages to shake himself from his stupor. "No. No, I'm –"

"Edward!" Emmett runs into the bedroom half-dressed and frantic. "Please tell me you have the cuff links."

"I do."

"Hey, that's my line," Emmett jokes. "Get your own man."

"No, thanks," Edward replies easily. His eyes cut to Bella for a moment and his gaze makes her flush slightly. "I'd like to find that woman, though."

"To each his own." Emmett shrugs and holds out his hand, where Edward drops a pair of cuff links. As he turns, Emmett finally notices Bella. "Oh, hey little one. Didn't see you there for a second."

"Of course you didn't." She rolls her eyes. "So this is your best man."

"Yup," is all Emmett says as he struggles with the cuff links. Upon closer inspection, Bella realizes they have the Superman emblem on them. She's not surprised.

She's also not surprised that Emmett isn't introducing her to Edward or the other way around.

"Hi," she says. "I'm Bella Swan."

"Ah," Edward breathes out. "So _you're_ the wedding planner extraordinaire this guy's been talking about for the past few months. It's nice to finally meet you. Edward Cullen," he introduces himself. "This guy's best friend though I'm not sure why."

"Watch it. I'll let Bella take your spot. She looks prettier in that dress than you do in your suit."

"Can't," Bella says automatically. "Too busy." She glances at her watch and curses under her breath. "Okay, Emmett, we start in half an hour. You got it?"

"Yup."

She studies him apprehensively before she turns to Edward. "Can I trust you?"

"Sure," he says with a shrug.

"I need him in the kitchen in thirty minutes, not thirty-one minutes. He and Jasper _have_ to walk down that aisle at two-thirty."

Edward gives her a salute. "Got it. We'll be there."

Twenty-five minutes later, both Emmett and Jasper are standing in the kitchen, soft smiles on their faces as they see each other in their wedding suits for the first time. It's a moment that Bella doesn't want to break up yet so she pulls Edward and Alice to the side and goes over the procession once more. Alice nods because she was able to make it to the rehearsal the night before but Edward's flight only came in that morning so he listens carefully.

The two of them walk down the makeshift aisle in the backyard of Jasper and Emmett's house. The violin plays _Pachabel's Canon in D_ because even though it's a little cliché, it's what Jasper wanted.

And Bella quickly learned that what Jasper wanted, Jasper received.

Once they reach the end of the aisle, the music changes to a slightly upbeat melody that Bella doesn't recognize. She had asked them about it last night but neither of them would tell her where it came from, only that it was a special piece they needed to use.

"You two ready?" she asks. They nod and Bella can't help but smile at them. "Off you go, then."

She pushes open the French doors, leaving them wide open this time so the guests can see the couple the moment they begin walking. Bella moves off to the side and gives Jasper a nod. They walk down the aisle at a medium pace, their footsteps synchronized with the music and that's when Bella realizes that it sounds slightly different than the night before.

A piano. There's a piano playing alongside the violin but she didn't approve a piano being set up on the lawn. Fearing something went wrong, Bella begins walking behind the last row of guests who are still standing. When she reaches the end, she stops and almost topples over in her low heels.

Emmett's best friend, his best man, _Edward_, sits at a small keyboard set up by the violinist. It must have a piano setting because Bella had been _sure_ it was a grand piano or something like it. His hands fly over the keys and she knows, in that very moment, where the song came from.

Just then, Edward turns his head and locks eyes with her. His fingers don't stop playing but he gives her a slow grin and a wink. Her lips form a smile of their own and she ducks her head bashfully, only to glance up to meet his eyes once more. Her heart stutters an excited beat, almost like it's tap dancing in her chest.

"Dance later?" he mouths to her. He gives her a semi-pitiful look and reminds her of a puppy.

She nods once with a smile before turning away. At the last second, she looks over her shoulder and watches him as he finishes playing and stands once more to join Emmett by the altar. She knows she shouldn't have nodded at his question; she's supposed to be working, after all, but she couldn't help it.

She can't wait.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to oOza for the beta work.<em>

_This one-shot was partially inspired by "One Day" by Stephanie J. Block. You can see a live performance here: www[dot]youtube[dot]com/watch?v=G5evxd2z864_


	17. Full Steam Ahead

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 17 – lick  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward,  
>Rating: G<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>"Hello?" Bella calls out as she lets herself into her friend's house. "Anyone home?"<p>

There is a muffled response from the back of the house but before she can yell Angela's name, two large dogs come galloping down the front hall. Bella braces herself because she knows they like to pounce on her – only her, never Angela or Ben.

"Oof," she breathes out when Monty gets up on his hind legs and tries to hug her. "Hey, boy," she greets him. She's not really one to talk to animals but she can't help but hold one-sided conversations with the Cheney dogs.

"Oh my gosh, Bella, I'm sorry." Angela rushes toward her and puts a firm hand on Monty's head. "_Down_, Monty." The dog immediately falls back onto all fours and stares up at Angela.

"It's okay," Bella assures her. "I'm used to it by now. I think."

Angela gnaws at her bottom lip for a moment. "Are you _sure_ you're comfortable taking care of them this weekend? We can still drop them off at the kennel."

"No!" If there's one thing Bella can't stand, it's the kennel. She had a dog when she was younger – for all of a year before it ran away – and she still remembers the whimpers that came out of Simba's mouth when he came back from the kennel.

She shakes her head and repeats, "No."

"You sure? Positive?"

"Yeah, Angela. Don't worry. I'll take care of the boys." Bella crouches down and laughs when Dakota nudges her shoulder, wanting affection. "Won't I, boys? I'll take care of you."

Dakota responds by licking up her cheek.

"Ew, _gross_, Cody," she says, using his nickname. "No treat for you later."

Angela laughs and shakes her head at her friend. "Okay, so I'm not leaving until tomorrow morning but you can stay here tonight already if you want."

"Yeah, I brought my stuff," Bella says absent-mindedly. Her weekender bag is in the backseat of her car, filled with casual clothes and the bare necessities. It's not like she's stranding herself on an island, after all. She's just across town from her own apartment.

"The guest room is ready for you. But these guys," Angela says with a wave to her dogs. "I don't think you've ever seen where they sleep. Come on, I'll show you."

For the next hour, Angela shows Bella where the dogs sleep and eat, and gives her a rundown of their mealtimes and where they like to walk and which dog likes which toys. Bella's head spins by the time the instructions are over and she's beginning to wonder if maybe taking care of Monty and Cody will be a lot more than she bargained for. She's starting to think taking care of her newborn niece might be easier.

"I've overwhelmed you, haven't I?" Angela frets. "I'm sorry. I know it's a lot, especially when you're not used to it."

"I'm fine. I'll be fine." Bella is trying to convince herself as much as she's trying to reassure Angela. "Everything's written down right?"

"Right," Angela says with a nod. "Right here, with the vet's number."

"Okay." Bella nods. "Okay." She takes a deep breath and glances at her watch. "I guess now is when Ben usually takes them for a walk? It's just after six."

"Yeah. He takes them to the dog park about three blocks away right after work."

"Okay," she says again because it's the only word she can come up with when it comes to this situation. "Why don't I take them now while you finish packing? You haven't finished packing, have you?" she adds the second part as an afterthought.

"That would be a _no_. You don't mind doing it yourself?"

"I'll be fine." Bella is starting to feel like a parrot with the way she's repeating herself. "You guys wanna go for a walk?"

Both dogs bark once in response before Cody runs off, only to return with two leashes hanging from his mouth.

"Crazy smart," Bella murmurs.

"They are," Angela agrees. "Okay, you have the key. Take your time. Be stern with them. They know you so they'll listen even though you're not usually their disciplinarian. They should behave for you."

"Okay. Don't worry!"

Ten minutes later, after more minutes of reassuring Angela she won't kill the dogs or lose them, Bella walks them down the block in the direction Angela pointed her toward. With a leash in each hand, Bella walks between the two dogs. They're heeling without being told, which she _loves_. Even when they arrive at the dog part, neither of them goes crazy or starts pulling away from her. Angela had mentioned that they could be let off the leashes once they were inside the park and all she had to do was call their names and they'd return to her.

"Here goes," Bella mumbles. She squats down and unhooks the leashes from their collars. Immediately, they run toward the large grassy area in the center of the dog run. Bella watches them closely; the last thing she needs is for them to take a crap and her not realizing it.

The two dogs mostly play with each other, ignoring the others around them. It makes sense; Angela and Ben bought them together from the same breeder. They were two of a nine-pup litter. One dog keeps trying to run with them but is ignored. It's a semi-large cream-colored dog with curly hair that makes her think of Rowlf the Dog from _The Muppets_.

"Monty!" she calls after about 10 minutes. "Cody!"

If she's going to stay in this dog park, she's going to play _with_ the dogs instead of just standing around like some creeper. She sees the two dogs running toward her.

And they have a third behind them.

"Whoa!" she cries out. The dog from earlier somehow rushes past Monty and Cody and jumps on her. It's bigger than she thought, easily able to place its paws on her shoulders. The dog is also a lot heavier than she originally thought because Bella wobbles under the added weight and soon topples toward the grass. The only thing she can think is that the grass better not have any dog crap.

"I'm so sorry!" a voice apologizes from above her. She can't see anything because the curly-haired dog is still on top of her. "_Down_, Sasha. _Sit_."

The weight disappears and Bella lets out a huge rush of air. "Holy crap, that's some dog," she blurts out.

"Puppy, actually," the voice says. Bella looks up and sees a tall man holding onto the dog's – Sasha's – leash. "I'm really sorry. I'm still in the middle of training her. Here, let me help you up."

He reaches down his free hand and Bella grasps it. Her breath hitches lightly when she feels a spark between their palms. When she's standing, he doesn't let go right away.

"Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

Bella shakes her head. "No. She just surprised me."

"Oh, good, for a second there I thought –"

Before he can finish his sentence, Sasha leaps up again. Bella jumps away at the last second but the dog keeps bounding after her.

"Sasha, _no_." He turns his attention to Bella. "Just turn your back. I'm so, so sorry."

Bella tries to follow his directions, turning her back to the energetic puppy, but Monty is behind her and she lets out a squeal of laughter when she ends up falling and getting tangled with the dog. From the corner of her eye, she sees the man reaching toward her, as if to help her up again, but Cody darts between his arm and her body, causing him to back into his own dog before falling down next to her.

"Ow," he mumbles as he falls hard on his ass. "Jeez, these dogs."

With a giggle, Bella whistles to the two Ridgebacks. They immediately go to her and sit in front of her. "What are you doing, guys?" she asks them. They don't answer her at all but Bella still reaches over and scratches their heads lovingly. "You want me to make a fool out of myself in front of strangers?"

"Edward," the man says immediately. She glances over at him. "The name's Edward and, like you heard earlier, this is Sasha. He gestures toward the puppy who is leaning heavily against him, tongue lolling out of her mouth in a silly grin. "Now I'm not a stranger."

Bella lets out a laugh. "Touché, Edward." She gives him a grin.

There is a pregnant pause for a moment before he clears his throat. "Do I get to find out your name?"

"Oh!" She shakes her head and rolls her eyes at her rudeness. "Bella," she introduces. "I'm Bella."

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to oOza for the beta work.<em>


	18. Staying Upright

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 18 – pitch  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: PG<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>At this very moment, Bella wants nothing more than to tackle Alice to the ground and yell in her face.<p>

The heels and sundress are uncomfortable but a necessity right now. Her shoes click on the floor and she stares at her colored toes instead of at the wall of mirrors in front of her.

"God, Bella, you look like you're about to be executed or something."

"Shut up, Alice. I hate this."

"Oh, come on, it could be fun," her best friend says. "Besides, it's for a good cause, right?"

Bella doesn't say anything. The classes are for Alice's wedding so if she disagrees, Alice will never speak to her again. If she agrees, she'll be admitting – in a roundabout way – that the dance classes are worth the embarrassment that is bound to ensue once the music starts. With a giant sigh, Bella just shrugs and glances around. Alice and Jasper are here, of course. The bride-to-be is determined to have her wedding party "do a dance." She didn't want the normal swaying of couples to some cheesy love song nor did she want to ruin her wedding video with crappy dance moves from the '80s.

Oh, no.

Not at all.

Alice Brandon wants her and Jasper, along with her sister Cynthia as her maid of honor and Jasper's cousin Emmett as his best man, and the five attendants on each side, to start with a waltz after they're introduced to the guests. The music will stop suddenly, though, like something is wrong but really, the beat will change and the couples will salsa and samba their way to the end.

In other words, Alice wants a show and Jasper is more than happy to indulge her. Bella is almost positive he's actually more excited about the samba part than he's letting anyone know.

A small group of people walk into the dance studio and Bella immediately knows that they are the instructors and assistants or whatever. She can tell by the way they walk, the way they carry themselves across the dance floor. Of course, that may have also been the shot of tequila she took before the class in an attempt to calm her nerves.

"How are you holding up?" Rosalie asks from beside her. Bella shrugs. She, Alice, and Rosalie have been friends since their first year in college and they've only grown closer in the six years since then. "You're not going to puke, are you?"

"No!" Bella's voice carries and everyone in the room pauses to look at her. "Uh, sorry," she says meekly.

"You need to calm down," Rosalie chastises her. "It won't be that bad. At least your partner is Riley. He, at least, has rhythm."

He does, but Bella isn't sure if that's a good thing or not. Unfortunately, she won't be able to see for herself today because Riley's on a business trip and won't be joining their classes until the next week. Rosalie's in the same boat with Jasper's cousin, Peter. He's a good guy but has two left feet. The verdict over whether Bella or Peter is the worse dancer is still up in the air. Peter's not here either. He's in town but is sick and Jasper flat out told him to stay home lest he face the wrath of Alice.

No one else in the wedding party needs to be sick.

"Bella? Rosalie?" Alice calls them from the middle of the room where she's standing with Jasper and the instructors. "Can you guys come here?"

They walk over to her and Bella notices there are three men and one woman.

"Rosalie, this is Royce," Alice introduces the man with a scowl on his face. He looks less than pleased to be here but his eyes rake over Rosalie's form appreciatively for a second. "He'll be dancing with you today since Peter's out."

Royce huffs out a sigh and nods his head over to the side. An annoyed look crosses over Rosalie's face but she follows him, muttering about conceited little snots who think they know everything. It takes about 20 seconds for Royce to turn around and say something to her. Whatever it is, it must be bad because Rosalie's eyes narrow and then the two of them are arguing.

"Lovely," Alice moans. She raises her voice, "It's one stupid class. Pretend to get along so Rosalie learns the steps."

Bella stifles her giggle. Across the room, Emmett shares a look with her and they both burst out laughing. If Rosalie keeps up her tirade, Emmett will go over and calm her down but for now, it's amusing to see her tell off her stand-in partner.

"And Bella, this is Edward."

When she turns, Bella makes sure to have a smile on her face. It falters only slightly when she catches the crooked smile on the dancer's face. His eyes are bright and he seems to be laughing as well.

"Hi," she greets him. "Sorry you got saddled with me."

"Saddled?" he asks.

"I'm not much of a dancer," she explains. As if on cue, she takes a step toward him and stumbles on a heel of one of her new shoes. Her body pitches forward awkwardly but Edward manages to reach out and steady her. "See?"

This time, he _does_ laugh, but it's light and she doesn't feel like he's making fun of her. "Don't worry. By the time we're done tonight, I'll have you ready to salsa your way back home."

"Doubtful," Bella argues. "But you're more than welcome to try."

He winks at her and holds out a hand. When she takes it, he spins her once, twice, and then she finds herself in what was once an empty spot on the dance floor. Alice raises her eyebrows when their gazes lock and Bella can't help the light blush from appearing on her cheeks.

"Damn, Bella, that may be the most coordinated you've ever been on a dance floor!" Emmett booms out from across the room.

"Shut up!" she yells back. She turns back to Edward. "Sorry."

"My first rule – no apologizing."

"What?"

He shakes his head at her. "I don't want any apologies to come out of your mouth. You're a beginner, yes?" She nods in response. "Then you're going to have stumbles and you're going to forget what to do. That's fine. It happens to everyone. Don't apologize when it happens."

Bella nods again. "Any other rules?"

"Yes. The second rule is to forget about how nervous you are."

"Impossible."

He laughs at her quick response. "I'm serious. Felix has the entire dance choreographed. He's taught it to us. I'm going to help you learn it. Just do whatever Gianna does and you'll be fine. There's no need to be nervous."

"Anything else?" She's almost afraid to hear his answer.

"Just one more."

In the center of the room, Felix and Gianna are in a ready position for the waltz. Edward takes Bella's right hand and holds their arms upright and out to their side. He takes her left hand and places it on his shoulder, running his fingers up to her elbow to make sure it's crooked just so. Sliding his arm right below hers so that she can almost rest against him, his palm is warm against her upper back.

"What's the last rule?" Bella whispers because Felix is already beginning his instruction of a basic waltz.

Edward gives her a smile and leans in so he can whisper in her ear. "Just have fun."

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to oOza for the beta work!<em>


	19. BSide Ink

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 19 – tingle  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: PG-13<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>"So, wait," Bella says as she slides a ten-dollar bill to the cab driver before ambling out onto a snowy curb. "Tell me this again – you just <em>happened<em> to meet a guy and he just _happens_ to be one of the most well-known tattoo artists in the country?"

Alice laughs as she jumps over a bank of snow. She makes a face when her foot falls through the white stuff into a dirty puddle hiding beneath it. "Do you not listen to anything I say? I met a guy who is a _piercer_ at the same place of this so-called well-known tattoo artist."

The wind blows harshly against them and Bella looks back to check how Rosalie is doing in the cold weather. She had come in the day before from California and wasn't cut out for the snow at all. When Bella sees her shivering, even with the parka she borrowed, she hurries down the street.

"And then? I mean, did you meet him at all? Or did this piercing dude just say, 'Okay, yeah, I'll make sure he puts her in even though his waiting list is seven months out. He won't mind.' I mean… That doesn't even make any sense."

"Of course not." Bella rolls her eyes as she pauses on the corner of Avenue B and 4th Street. "_I_ knew that _you_ knew about him so I mentioned it to Jasper who asked to see a picture of you which I had on my phone so I showed it to him and he asked me to send it to him so I did and _he_ sent it to _Edward_ who said he'd fit you in, no problem."

"Excuse me while I attempt to unravel the drivel you just spouted," Rosalie interrupts in a flat tone. "Basically, this Edward guy sees B's picture and wants to fuck her so he's gonna do her tattoo?"

"Rosalie Hale, I said nothing about fucking!" Alice actually sounds shocked.

"Not like I wouldn't mind," Bella mutters. She'd seen pictures of Edward Cullen on the Internet and had seen him on a few television shows and specials about the art of the tattoo. He was hot and she wouldn't say no if he asked her. "Oh, hey, is this the place?"

The storefront is plain. A black awning comes out just a little bit and B-SIDE INK is printed in white letters across the fabric. There are large glass windows and the inside looks empty, save for the tall, skinny, blond guy behind the counter.

Alice pulls open the door and bounds inside. The guy immediately looks up and grins. "Hey, Al," he greets her. He stands and walks out from behind the counter. Alice wasn't kidding when she had told her friends her new guy was hot. Jasper is all thin muscle and lean cords and he's wearing jeans that he may as well have been poured into. He turns to me. "Hey, Bella."

"How do you – oh, right. My picture."

With a smirk, he winks at Bella before he glances at the clock that says it's only 9:30. "Edward's in the back finishing up with a client. He's supposed to be out of here by 10 but he said he'd stay late for you. You know what you want or do you need to look at some samples?"

"Um," Bella fumbles over her thoughts. "I _think_ I know what I want."

"And where she wants it too," Rosalie says with a snicker.

"Yeah?" Jasper sounds intrigued. "Where are you thinking?"

When Bella doesn't answer, Rosalie rolls her eyes. "She wants it down her ribcage with the top curving over her boob."

"Rosalie!"

"What? It's true."

Jasper laughs and shakes his head. "I'll go let Edward know you're here. Feel free to look at those books. Some of his best work is in there."

He disappears and Bella immediately grabs one of the big books. She flips through it slowly, in awe of the tattoos in the photos. Though it seems Edward's done everything from words to black and white to faces, his best work seems to come from his color work. She pauses at a photo of a girl's back. Between her shoulder blades are three flowers – two hibiscus flowers and a water lily. The colors pop out at her and she can't help but trace over the art.

"Lauren Mallory, about three years ago." Bella looks up and sees Edward standing behind the counter, staring down at the book with her. "One of the pieces I'm most proud of." He holds out a hand. "Edward Cullen."

"I know," Bella breathes out. She shakes her head and chastises herself for sounding like a wanton teenager. "I mean, hi. It's nice to meet you. Will you really do my tattoo?"

Edward's laugh is rich and boisterous with just a hint of teasing. "If that's what you want. Jasper mentioned you're a fan of my work."

"Yes!" she blurts out. "I saw this special once on TV and you were visiting some shops and it was just _awesome_ the way you spoke about tattooing and then you got all pissed at that one dude who refused to give himself a tattoo but wanted to work on… other… people…"

Bella trails off. Her eyes dart around the room in embarrassment. Both Alice and Rosalie are looking at her like she's gone a little crazy.

"Sorry," she practically whispers. "I get excited about tattoos."

"I can see that." His grin widens. "So you know what you want?"

"I think so. I mean, I know the idea and where," she pauses to shoot an annoyed glare Rosalie's way, "but it doesn't look _exactly_ right."

"Do you have a picture?"

"Uh-huh." Bella rummages through her bag and produces a white piece of paper. In the center is a writing quill, the feather only going up about three-quarters of the way before it splits off into a flock of birds flying to the right.

Edward stares at it, tilting his head thoughtfully. He lays it flat against the counter and taps his finger on it. "Tell me about this."

Bella swallows deeply. "I'm uh, I'm a writer. That's the quill."

"And the birds?" When Bella doesn't answer, he looks up. "It's visually stimulating but I bet you have a reason for it."

"My mom didn't think I could do it," she says quietly. "My dad was supportive but she… She thought I was wasting my time so it just sort of… It shows how I got past all of that and went out on my own with it. It's sort of dumb."

"No, it's not," Alice hisses with a jab into Bella's side.

Edward is quiet for a few minutes before nodding. "Where were you thinking of putting it?"

"Um." Bella turns to her side and lifts her left arm up. "Down here," she says, indicating her left side. "With the top curving right here," she finishes while tracing a curve over her left breast.

"That would look good," Edward muses. He nods his head a few times. "Okay, I'm just finishing up with someone so give me some time and I'll start designing it on paper for you. If you want to head out for a bit, we're not locking the place up until about eleven tonight. Just make sure to come back by then."

"O-okay," Bella stutters a bit. She's a bit in shock that it's actually going to happen – Edward Cullen's work will be on her body and the art will be something she's been thinking of getting for over a year. She pauses. "Thank you," she says sincerely. "For squeezing me in. For doing this."

A wicked grin appears on Edward's lips. His eyes move down Bella's body and back up where her own eyes have widened in realization. "You're welcome."

As Bella walks out of the shop with her friends for some food, her head is pounding faster than usual. She didn't imagine the look of appreciation in Edward's eyes when he looked over her and Alice already said he said he'd take her in _after_ he saw her picture.

Rosalie might actually be right.

Bella lets out a small burst of laughter. She glances back to peer into the windows but Edward is nowhere to be seen. As she races after Rosalie and Alice who are about a half-block ahead of her, she has only one thought.

_God, I hope Rosalie is right._

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to oOza for the beta work!<em>


	20. The 192 Express

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 20 - vanish  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: G<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>Every morning at 7:24, Bella boards the 192 Express to New York City. She greets the driver with a smile and he – so long as it's the regular driver – smiles back widely. With the bus already on the move by the time she reaches the second row, Bella continues to walk unsteadily toward the back. She likes to sit there because it means she gets to sleep a little bit longer since everyone files out from front to back at the bus station in the city. She also likes to sit on the right side of the bus and where there aren't any frames of the large windows.<p>

After about ten minutes, the bus pulls into her town's Park & Ride station. Part of the reason she likes sitting on the right is so she can see how long the line is and see who is coming on. She knows the regulars. Well, she doesn't _know _them but she recognizes them and exchanges pleasantries sometimes.

There are the two people – a couple – that live in the apartment complex nearby. There's a closer bus stop but she once overheard the girl saying she liked walking the extra two blocks back so that they could sit next to each other. She's a gorgeous blonde, tall and slender, and she's almost always in a suit. The only time she's not are Fridays but even then she wears pressed pants and fitted sweaters or blouses. She always boards the bus first and chooses the row for the two of them to sit, usually on the left side and a few rows ahead of Bella. The man follows her with a hand at the small of her back. He looks a bit like a body builder even in his tailored suits. He always places a laptop bag in the overhead storage space and puts his jacket there too, if he has one.

A middle-aged woman also rides the bus into the city with Bella. She's pretty in a plain sort of way. She must work at a hospital of some sort because she's in scrubs all the time. Bella assumes she works with children because one day, the scrubs have dogs and cats on them, then the next day it's the Cat in the Hat. She doesn't always appear, which only confirms Bella's thoughts of her in a hospital. When the nurse – doctor? – sits, she peers out the window and waves to a handsome man with blond hair and dimples in his cheeks. He looks like he's dressed for work too but he must work somewhere in New Jersey.

It's summer, which means a few tourists also get on the bus. It's rare since the town doesn't really have hotels or anything so the tourists are usually visiting family members. Today, it's a trio of blond girls. They look like typical teenagers and they talk like it too, all screechy sounding and chattering. One look from the suited blonde, though, and they lower their voices.

A new man walks on the bus and Bella can't help but sit up a bit straighter. She peers over the seats and watches as he walks down the aisle and sits in the row in front of her. In a suit, he looks, well, _beautiful_. His hair is a mess though. She watches through the reflections in the window as he settles into his seat. He unbuttons his suit jacket and pops in a set of headphones. She wishes she knew what he was listening to. By the time the bus pulls away from the curb, his eyes are closed and his head leans against the window.

Bella's morning routine is always the same not because she _needs_ it to be like that but because she likes knowing what time she'll get into work – barring major traffic, anyway. She's deviated from her schedule before and that's fine too but she always likes coming back to the 7:24 bus.

For the entire month of June, Bella sees the new guy. He must have moved into the area recently because she's sure she would know if she's seen him before. It seems he's getting used to the regular bus riders too because by the end of the month, he high fives the big guy every morning and grins at the pretty blonde. He seems nice and he's always thoughtful when it comes to sharing the row with someone, leaning over just the tiniest bit so that he has his own space.

Bella does the same thing.

She's learned to really love her mornings so the week after the July 4th weekend, she's a bit bummed that the new guy – who isn't really new anymore – doesn't show up. On Monday, she assumes maybe he took a long weekend for the holiday and doesn't think much of it. A lot of people aren't on the regular bus but Bella didn't want to waste a vacation day, especially when she just stayed home to watch the fireworks on TV. He's not there on Tuesday either so Bella concocts a story about how maybe he's sick. When he doesn't show up on Wednesday, she realizes that she misses seeing him walk toward her. He almost always sits in the row in front of her and gives her a smile before he turns to sit down.

He doesn't show up Thursday either.

On Friday, Bella takes a deep breath and asks the body builder if he knows where the new guy is. The body builder's name is actually Emmett and his girlfriend is actually his fiancée and her name is Rosalie. The new guy's name is Edward or so Emmett tells her and he went to visit his family in Martha's Vineyard for the week.

He also lives about ten blocks from Bella's townhouse.

The following Monday, Bella can't help but breathe a happy sigh when she sees Edward in the line waiting for the bus. He's standing right behind Emmett and Rosalie and they're smiling and laughing like they're old friends. As usual, Rosalie boards the bus first but this time, she sits in the row across from Bella, smiling a hello at her. Emmett follows her with his hand on her back. He doesn't say anything about the row change; he merely puts his laptop bag in the storage space above the row and places a folded suit jacket on top of it. He says hello and then sits next to Rosalie before taking out his phone and checking e-mail.

"Hey." Bella looks up to see Edward standing in the aisle next to her row. "Can I sit here?"

She's surprised, not only because it's the first time he's ever talked to her, but also because no one ever really asks to sit next to someone. They just do it.

"Yeah, of course," she replies.

Edward smiles at her and sits after shrugging off his suit jacket. It's too hot outside and she's not really sure how he was surviving with it on. He settles into the seat but instead of putting in his earphones, he turns to her.

"I hear you were asking about me."

Bella starts coughing, mortified that Emmett and Rosalie told him.

"If I'd known you'd be worried, I would have told you I took a vacation."

She looks at him but he's not being sarcastic. He's smiling at her sweetly and that's when Bella notices that his eyes are a vibrant shade of green. It would be easy to get lost in them.

"I just noticed you weren't showing up. I notice the regulars on the bus and got a little worried." She glances at Edward but quickly looks away. "I've seen you talk to Emmett so I asked."

"That was nice of you."

There's a long pause and the bus pulls away from the curb only to stop three blocks down to let more passengers on.

"I'm Edward by the way."

Bella hesitates but through the window reflections, she sees a curious look on his face. She turns her head and meets his gaze.

"I'm Bella."

* * *

><p><em>Thank you to oOza for the beta work.<em>


	21. Sinking Slowly

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 21 – i39[dot]tinypic[dot]com/rmp7v8[dot]jpg  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: G<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p><em>Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.<em>

Bella's hand darts out and reaches out for her side table. She hits the snooze button on her alarm clock, knowing immediately where it is without having to look. A few more minutes won't do anything…

_Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz._

"No," she moans even though no one's around to hear her. "Not yet." She closes her eyes again.

_Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz._

_Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz._

_Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz._

"God, _okay_ already." Bella struggles to a seated position, blinking at the clock. Her eyes pop open wide when she sees that it's almost 9:00. "No, no, no."

Jumping out of bed, Bella runs to her closest and pulls out clothes haphazardly She checks herself in the mirror as she dashes toward the bathroom to comb out her hair and brush her teeth. Running down the hall to the kitchen, she lets out a shriek when she sees Jake standing here with a piece of toast hanging from his mouth.

"Jesus Christ, what are you still doing here?"

"Me?" he asks around the piece of bread. He swallows quickly. "My shift doesn't start until one. What are _you_ still doing here?"

"Snoozed too much." She grabs a banana and her stomach grumbles as if telling her that it won't be enough. "Listen, I have to go. Can you do me a favor and move the car? Alternate side parking today until six-ish."

"Sure. Just leave the keys."

Bella rummages through her purse and tosses them toward him. "Thanks. I owe you. See you later!"

A 20-minute train ride later, Bella dashes into her office building. Her foot taps impatiently as she waits for an elevator. The floor is silent when she steps out and her heart races. She sincerely hopes there's not an important meeting that she's missing. Just as she's sitting at her desk, she hears people down the hall.

"Benjamin!" she calls her assistant's name as he walks by. She notices the way he lets out a sigh of relief when he sees her. "What's going on? Where was everyone?"

"Bella, where have you been?" he asks urgently. He shuts the door behind him and walks to her desk. He sits and his knees start bouncing. "I thought you were done."

"Done?"

Benjamin's face is intense. "Bella, they just laid off about 30 people in the department, about 8 in our group."

"_What_?"

"It happened this morning. When you weren't in your office by the time they called the meeting… Jeez, Bella, I thought they'd let you go."

Bella sits back in her chair. She feels numb. Lay-offs. Again. The company did lay-offs about a year and a half ago and while her department was hit lightly, she hadn't lost anyone in her group. The fact that eight people – and she doesn't even know who yet – are no longer working with her makes her want to hurl.

"Who?"

A knock stops Benjamin from answering and they both stand up when Sam, the senior VP of marketing, walks in. His eyes are serious when he looks at Bella.

"Sam!"

"Bella." The way he says her name makes her stomach turn again. "We need to talk."

Benjamin stands up, knowing he's being dismissed, and for the next 45 minutes Bella and Sam talk about who's no longer on her team and what will happen for the next couple of weeks and then in the long run. Sam does most of the talking and Bella mostly just nods or asks a question. By the end of their impromptu meeting, she feels like she's been run over by a truck.

"I'm sorry, Bella, but we had to let go of people somewhere. I know you guys can handle the changes. Paul agreed," he says, mentioning the director whom Bella works directly under.

"Thanks for discussing this with me," she says, her voice soft and her brain muddled.

Sam hesitates. "Paul will be by to talk to you but Bella, with a large portion of this group gone, the ones who remain will have to pick up the slack."

"Of course."

"Paul and I are trying to get you a promotion. You _will_ be getting one, actually, we just have to work out the logistics with a new title and what percentage we can give you. We'll let you know more as soon as we can."

Bella nods. "Thank you," she says but her heart is only half elated. Later on, she'll try to get excited about a promotion but right now, all she can think about are the coworkers who, well, aren't really coworkers anymore.

"Take it easy today," he tells her. "I think everyone's still a bit raw."

She listens to Sam and does the bare minimum of work. Paul stops in just after lunch and they end up having a meeting that lasts for almost two hours. By the time 4:30 rolls around, she's done with attempting to work. Her brain is mush and she's starting to see colored spots in front of her eyes from staring at her computer screen for the majority of the day.

After telling Paul she's leaving early, Bella steps outside the building to a torrential downpour. She doesn't have an umbrella and she's wearing heels.

"Seriously?" she mutters. After taking a deep breath, she makes a mad dash for the entrance to the subway, nearly slipping down wet steps. She apologizes to the guy she just bowled over but she can hear the announcement that her train is one station away so she runs as fast as she can down the escalator to get in. She manages to do it though she's not entirely sure _how_. Everyone smells like a wet dog, what with the rain and then packing into a subway car. It makes Bella want to gag and it doesn't help that the tall guy next to her has his hand against the ceiling of the train, therefore leaving a smelly armpit right by her hand.

The rain is gone when she emerges at the subway exit by her apartment. That's the only good thing to happen because as she's walking the two blocks uptown, the heel of her right foot gets caught in the sidewalk and she stumbles. The cement on her knees is painful and she knows – just _knows_ – that she'll have scratches on her legs from the fall.

"Are you alright?"

Bella looks up and sees a somewhat familiar man. She nods hesitantly.

"Are you sure?"

The concern in his voice is touching and that's all it takes for Bella's eyes to tear up.

"Whoa. Okay, I don't think you're okay."

"I'm fine," she croaks out. Her hands swipe at her eyes. "I'm sorry. It's been a bad day."

The man smiles and holds out a hand. Cautiously – because a girl just never _knows_ – she lets him help her off of the sidewalk. He brushes some pieces of the sidewalk from her clothes and pauses when he sees her broken shoe.

"How 'bout I help you walk home?"

"Excuse me?"

His smile grows. "You live in my apartment building. I've seen you a couple of times but you always seem to be in a rush. I'm two floors down."

"Oh." She squints at him. "I thought you looked familiar." She looks down at her feet then back up. "Some help would be really… Helpful." She grimaces at her word choice.

"Okay, then." He wraps an arm slowly around her waist so that she can pull away if she feels uncomfortable. Nudging her toward his side, he lets her lean into his body so she can limp a little more comfortably with uneven heels. "Okay?"

She nods. "Thanks. I'm Bella, by the way."

"Bella?" He frowns. "I thought your name began with an I."

"Huh?"

"I. Swan – that's what written by the buzzer." She backs away from him slightly and he laughs. "I've met your roommate. Jacob, right?"

"Oh, right." She lets out a sigh of relief. "Isabella," she informs him. "But I go by Bella."

"Bella," he rolls the name in his mouth. "I like it. I'm Edward." He gives her a stern look. "I don't like nicknames though, so it's just Edward."

"Just Edward," Bella says with her first smile of the day. "I like that too."

* * *

><p><em>Due to a lack of time, this story has been posted without a beta. All mistakes are my own – my apologies.<em>


	22. How I Know You

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 22 – i42[dot]tinypic[dot]com/j7vxw4[dot]jpg  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: PG<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p><em>I ran away because I wanted to be free. Now I'm wondering if that was the dumbest thing I could have done.<em>

Edward writes the two sentences painstakingly slow on the front of the picture he found in a magazine. He thinks it's actually a picture for an anti-depressant but that part's not really important. What matters is that his words are legible and convey his every emotion as he's thinking about them. After he writes his secret, he runs his thumb over it.

_I ran away because I wanted to be free. Now I'm wondering if that was the dumbest thing I could have ever done._

He glances around the store and makes sure no one is in the aisle with him. He takes the Post-Secret book off of the shelf and opens to a random page. Carefully, he slides his own secret between the pages and puts the book back on the shelf. He hopes someone will find it.

As an afterthought, he flips through the book and takes the picture out again. At the very bottom, where the grass looks almost minty green, he writes his e-mail address – the one he uses for mailings and junk-like mail. Maybe he'll be lucky and someone will contact him about the secret. Maybe it's just something stupid. After putting the secret back in the book and the book back on the shelf, Edward walks out of the store without a second thought.

Five weeks later, he's going through his e-mail account so he can delete the e-mails he doesn't want and print out the latest coupons for some of his favorite stores. He pauses when he sees a new e-mail from an unknown address. The subject line just says, "You're not dumb." Despite the fact that he thinks it might be another stupid spam thing, he clicks on it and hopes his MacBook stays virus-free.

**If you felt the need to run away from something, then you did it for a reason. Whatever that reason was, it was something you needed to do. So no, you're not dumb for wanting to be free – of whatever it is that was holding you hostage.**

The words are simple and succinct. This person, whoever he or she may be, understands what he was trying to say in that secret. He looks at the e-mail address but he can't figure out anything from the username and even though the person uses Gmail like him, he or she is just listed as "B."

He writes back quickly.

_I didn't think anyone would find that secret. I'm glad you did, whoever you are, because you seem to understand what I meant. Thank you for taking the time to write me. It surprised me and made my day._

Edward sends it.

He gets a response one week later.

**I'm glad I found the secret. Even in the midst of the secrets in the book, it felt heartfelt and honest. I hope you're still free.**

For a moment, Edward feels a rush of happiness at the words on his screen. He doesn't care if the person on the other end is a guy or a girl, young or old. He writes back the next day, taking the time to decide what he wants to say and how he wants to say it. He wants to stay truthful but he doesn't want to scare the other person away.

_I am. I'm free from the clutches of dishonesty and secrets and possessiveness. It feels right. I hope I can find the exact opposites of those traits in my lifetime._

It only takes five days to get a response.

**You will. I know because I believe everyone will find what is right for them. It may not be easy and it may not be tomorrow, but you'll find it if that's what makes you happy and if you're willing to look for it.**

When Edward reads the latest e-mail, he sits back and thinks over the words. His next e-mail says only one thing.

_I'm willing but I never know where to start._

Within hours, there is an e-mail waiting for him.

**Start at the very beginning, as one of my favorite songs tells me. What do you want? What do you love? What are you willing to risk? Think on that and you'll know where to start.**

He ponders those questions for over a week. The more he thinks about them, the more confused he gets.

_I want to meet someone who understands me or is willing to get to know me in order to understand. I love trying new things and I love doing the same things over and over again because they're comfortable. I'm willing to risk all material things in my life to find what makes me happy. Except maybe my apartment and car because I'd like to have a place to sleep and something to get me around._

For a few days, Edward checks his e-mail almost religiously but there is nothing new that he cares about. As he deletes more junk mail one day, a new message finally comes in.

**Are you talking about love? A relationship? A friendship? One shouldn't have to give up everything unless he's been given everything without working for it. Is that you?**

_I'm talking about friendship first. Should a lady want more, I'd be willing to see where that goes but I feel as though some of my closest friends don't truly understand me. They don't understand why I like sitting at my piano in the dark or why I want to try that new Ethiopian restaurant. That's just me._

Another week goes by and Edward starts to miss getting new e-mails. One Saturday night when he's about to fall asleep from complete exhaustion after working overtime, he sees something new in the inbox he's kept open for quite some time now.

**If it won't scare you off, I'll try to understand you. I'll read whatever you write to me and try not to analyze you too much. Oh, I'll have questions but you don't have to answer anything you don't want to.**

**I've come to find that it's sometimes easier to say things through the Internet with someone new. But if you don't want to because, well, because it's the Internet and I'm someone you don't know, then I won't write again.**

Edward thinks about the offer for all of two minutes.

_What kind of questions?_

Not even five minutes later, there is a response.

**I'll start with an easy one. What can I call you?**

He can give his real name but he doesn't know how smart that might be. Then again, it's not like he has such a unique name that only four people in the world have it so he takes a chance.

_Edward. You can call me Edward. Do I just call you B?_

The message is barely sent when he receives a response.

**Bella. You can call me Bella.**

* * *

><p><em>Due to a lack of time, this story has been posted without a beta. All mistakes are my own – my apologies.<em>


	23. Icebreaker

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 22 – i39[dot]tinypic[dot]com/n49mcp[dot]jpg  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: PG-13<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>"We're going to do an icebreaker."<p>

Bella groans quietly and wants to bang her head against the table. Freshmen orientation is nothing like she thought it would be. Sure, she moved into her dorm earlier, but right now, she's sick of these stupid icebreakers that the people running the activities are having them do.

Descriptive name game? Check.

She made herself Bendy Bella, which made a few of the boys in her group stare.

Two truths and a lie? Check.

Bella said the following: _I am from a town whose name coincides with a fork's partner._ _I love fishing._ _I chose Dartmouth because I didn't know where else to go._

Only three people chose the correct lie.

Dance a Name? Check.

Since most of the stupid and mundane dance moves were taken by the time it was her turn in the circle, Bella did the Michael Jackson crotch grab move while saying her name. Again, boys stared at her. It made her slightly uncomfortable.

"Everyone pair off!"

Bella shakes her head and realizes she's missed the activity. Everyone slowly pairs off until Bella is standing alone near the center of the room. She tries to catch the activity leader's attention. "Um."

"I'll be your partner."

Bella looks up and sees Edward, one of the assistant leaders – leader assistants? – in the group. He's been popping in and out of their sessions since he's what they call "the mouse," meaning he's the guy who scurries around to different areas on campus to the groups that need him the most.

Something like that, anyway.

"Okay!" Tanya claps her hands and Bella feels oddly like she's in a kindergarten class. "You have ten minutes to ask each other the questions on that sheet that's being handed out now. Make sure you remember your partner's answers because you're going to have to introduce him or her by memory!"

Edward hands Bella the sheet of paper and she lets out a sigh. "Should I ask you first or should you ask me?"

"How about you ask the question, I'll answer, and then you will?"

"Okay."

When she doesn't ask the first question, Edward clears his throat. "Okay?"

"Oh, sorry," Bella mumbles, heating up slightly. "Um… Full name?"

"Edward Anthony Cullen."

"Isabella Marie Swan. When and where were you born?"

"June 20th in Chicago."

"September 13th in Forks."

"Forks? Really?" he asks. "That's the name of your town?

"Yeah, I said it – oh, you weren't in the room during that one. Yeah. Forks, not Spoons or Knives or Ladles, as many people have tried to say. Forks."

"Ladles? Really? People say that?"

"It's annoyingly stupid," Belly says with a roll of her eyes. "Favorite subject?"

"Web design."

"Anything but gym. Okay, these questions are really stupid."

Edward crooks a grin at her. "Then why don't you make up your own?"

"I can do that?"

He shrugs. "Sure. Just remember – you have to answer them too."

Bella thinks for a moment. "Best injury you had as a child?"

"Can _any_ injury be the best?"

"Yes. Answer."

"You're bossy. Maybe that should have been your descriptive name – Bossy Bella." He laughs and jumps out of the way when she tries to swat at him. "My brother was an awesome skateboarder when we were younger. I wanted to be like him so I tried it except I tried to do what he did and ended up falling down the steps because I couldn't get high enough to ride down the railing. Got this awesome scar up my arm, see?" He bends his elbow so his hand is in the air and points to a long scar that runs down the back of his arm. "What about you?"

"I was six and wanted to follow my cousin up the monkey bars even though I had terrible balance and no sense of, you know, life preservation. I managed to make it up there before I realized I didn't want to actually _be_ up there so I froze. My cousin didn't know I was too scared to move and she kept moving and bumped into me. I fell off the bars."

"Oh my God, really?" Edward's eyes are wide and he looks a little bit like those cartoon bugs. "Did you hurt yourself?"

"I managed to fall on my arm. I was in a cast for a while. It was electric blue."

"Thank you for not saying it was hot pink."

Bella makes a face. "That's disgusting. Okay. How about… Favorite thing to do with a member of the opposite sex." The amused look on Edward's face makes her continue quickly. "PG! At least!"

"Is this going to come back to haunt me? Are you gonna find out which fraternity I'm in so you can tell my brothers and they can rag on me?"

"You're in a fraternity?"

"Uh, yes?"

"That's cool. My mom was in a sorority. She wants me to rush. I have to think about it."

"Yeah? Which one?"

"Stop avoiding the question, Edward."

He sighs. "I like kissing." His eyes dart around like he wants to make sure no one's listening.

Bella frowns at him. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Is _what_ a bad thing?"

"Liking kissing."

"No, I guess not." Edward's hand moves to the back of his neck. "It's just not very, I don't know, _manly_."

"Get over it," she teases him.

"And you?"

She rolls her eyes. "I'm a girly-girl at heart but you better not tell anyone that. I like cuddling."

"Cuddling?"

"Yes," she says defensively.

"When?" He waggles his eyebrows at her.

"While watching a movie." She sticks her tongue out at him when he nudges her. "I know what you're trying to get me to say. It's not gonna be said."

"Why not?" He nudges her. "Come on, you know you want to say it."

"No, I don't."

"Isabella."

"Edward," she says mockingly.

"You can't tell me you don't like to cuddle after sex."

The room falls silent just as Edward says that to Bella. Tanya is standing in the center of the room with her arms up, trying to get everyone's attention. She's a frozen statue because she's staring at Edward and Bella.

"Oops."

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to oOza for the beta work.<em>


	24. I Do Believe

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

* * *

><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 24 – i44[dot]tinypic[dot]com/2ezu33r[dot]jpg  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: G<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

* * *

><p>The adults call her <em>the strange child<em>. The other children laugh at her, poke fun at her, and turn their backs whenever she approaches them. Bella doesn't really care. She only talks to other children when she's forced to do so by her parents and she wants nothing of the adults in the world. She doesn't care about any of them.

She cares about the faeries.

After school, she runs to the forest behind her house. There is only a small amount of time when the sun still burns in the sky and the rule is that Bella can do what she wants until the sky turns dark and it's time for dinner. That's fine with the little eight-year-old.

She always leaves her shoes at the starts of the woods. The packed dirt beneath her feet is strong and creates prints of her feet as she runs. Her hair flies behind her while her hands reach out to brush against gnarled bark and hanging leaves. She feels free, like she's flying with only the wind to carry her.

On a cool day near the end of October, Bella runs on the path between the trees. In her mind, she still hears the rising voices of her parents as they fight. Today, the argument was about her. To be more precise, the argument was about the report card that was sent home with remarks regarding her lack of discipline in class. Charlie wants his daughter to focus more and to give up her childhood beliefs. Renee wants her daughter to hold onto the innocence of her childhood for as long as she can.

Bella just wants to meet the faeries.

It was her grandmother who first showed her the book about faeries. They depicted them as small, thin creatures with silvery wings. Bella thought they were beautiful and wanted nothing more than to touch their wings and whisper her secrets. As she grew older, she learned of the different types of faeries and promised herself she would only search for those on the side of good. She had no need for the dark faeries that preyed on emotions.

As the memory of the fight replays in her mind, Bella continues running until the sky begins to darken with the setting sun. She pauses and looks around; she's been running for so long that she no longer recognizes the area of the forest. A wind blows around her, causing her to shiver. To her left, a twig cracks.

"He-hello?" she stutters. A throaty laugh wraps around her body. "Is anybody there?"

The rustling of leaves catches her attention, this time from her right. She turns quickly and catches a glimpse of another child skipping away from her.

"Hey!" she calls. "Hey, come back! Can you help me?" The child disappears and Bella's stomach starts to hurt as she realizes the truth. "I think I'm lost."

"You're only lost if you can't be found."

Bella whirls around to see a tall boy grinning down at her. Her brows furrow when she realizes that he's only wearing a pair of pants that look torn. He cocks his head and lifts a hand to wave.

"Hello."

"Who-who are you?" Bella asks in a shaky voice.

At her question, the boy's face goes blank. A second later, he glares at her. "You should know better than to ask that question!"

"Wh-what?"

The boy crosses his arms over his chest. "My mother says you're special, that you know our ways. My mother is always right but now I don't know."

A lump forms in Bella's throat and she forces herself to swallow it down when realization hits. "You-you're a faerie."

Lowering his arms, the boy's smile reappears. "Well, of course I am, silly girl. What did you think?"

"I don't know," she whispers. "I'm a little scared."

"Scared? But why?" His brows furrow. "And you shouldn't say things like that here. The bad ones might hear you."

Bella's eyes widen as she slaps her hands over her mouth. She shakes her head and looks genuinely scared. The boy reaches over and tugs her hands down. "I'm sorry," she says lowly. "I didn't mean it. I'm lost. I don't know what to do."

He laughs and his eyes sparkle with delight. "You're not lost, silly. You are on the border between your land and my family's realm."

"Who are you?" she asks. "Not your name, just who you are."

"Well, I'm the future ruler of The Light Realm."

A gasp escapes Bella's lips. "Then you are –"

"No!" He shakes his head quickly, left to right to left to right. "Do not say my name here! They will come."

"Who?"

"The bad ones," he says. His eyes light up. "Would you like to see the Realm?"

Bella doesn't know what to say. She's always dreamed of this moment, when a faerie would visit her and prove that she was right to believe in them for so long. But she knows the stories, the tales of the faeries. She knows that human believers consider being invited to one of the realms one of the highest honors. She also knows that once a human enters a faerie realm, it is almost impossible to leave.

"I can't," she says painstakingly even though her heart drops in sadness.

The boy leans in close and moonlight glints off bronze-colored hair. "You can. I am inviting you."

"I want to," she admits.

He leans in even closer, so close that Bella can smell the sweetness of fruits and the tanginess of the earth on him. "Then come. You are very special. It's been seen already."

"Me?" Bella asks incredulously. "I have been seen from the faeries?"

"Yes. Your beliefs are strong and you will do much for me, my family, and our realm."

"But I can't," she says again. "My parents…"

"But –"

"Son." The boy jumps away from Bella as if shocked and the two children turn to see a tall figure in the shadows. "It is not her time yet."

"But Father," he begins.

"_Not yet_, my boy. Be patient. She will call on you when she is ready."

He lets out a sigh.

"But you may tell her," the figure says. "Whisper your secret and she will return."

The boy turns back to Bella and gives her a giant smile. "May I tell you a secret?"

Inwardly squealing, Bella nods. Faeries are known for their secrets, for their ability to hold in all that is important in their lives. To know a faerie's secret is to hold his or her life in the palm of a hand.

"First, something from you," he requests.

"What?" She continues speaking quietly even though she knows the tall man – this boy's father and therefore, one of the rulers of the Light Realm – can hear them.

"I know your name but I would like to hear you say it," he says.

"Me?" She is shocked. "I'm –"

"No," he stops her. He points to his ear. "Tell me here."

He is, she knows, requesting a formal exchange of secrets. It means that their lives will be bound together though for what reason, she isn't sure.

She leans in close to him and whispers softly, "My name is Bella."

He does not move away. Instead, he merely turns his head so that their cheeks graze against each other. He moves so close that his lips touch her ear. He talks so quietly that it sounds like a light summer breeze. "Bella. You are of great importance to me. When you are ready, call for me."

As if she were in a trance, Bella opens her mouth, surprised by the words that spill from her lips. "And whom shall I call for?"

Even closer, he gives her his most precious secret. "Edward. You will call for Edward."

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><p><em>Due to a lack of time, this story has been posted without a beta. All mistakes are my own – my apologies.<em>


	25. Higher

_Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters._

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><p>The Twilight Twenty-Five<br>thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 24 – i44[dot]tinypic[dot]com/30voyvd[dot]jpg  
>Pen name: IngenueFic<br>Characters: Bella, Edward  
>Rating: PG-13<p>

All prompts can be found here:  
>www[dot]thetwilight25[dot]comround-five/prompts/

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><p>Bella is a little tipsy, which is a good thing because the bouquet in her hands means she's about to be humiliated in front of the entire room. She didn't want the flowers but it was like Rose aimed directly for her when she threw it over her shoulder. As Emmett throws the garter up into the air and back, Bella watches in horror as Seth dives for it.<p>

_Seth._

Seth is 15 and drunk because his cousins gave him alcohol for the first time and thinks the garter is something to be proud of. Rosalie's eyes widen and she runs to him, whispering in his ear quickly. Just as fast, he throws the garter across the floor. When it slides to a corner of the dance area, Bella is reminded of a small snake.

Gross.

"Okay," the DJ says. "Seems we have a problem here. C'mon now, guys, Emmett and Rosalie's marriage depends on _this very moment_!"

_Fuck off_, Bella thinks. She knows Emmett and Rosalie will be together for years to come and it won't be because of some stupid tradition.

"I got it, I got it."

Bella looks and blushes immediately. It's one of Emmett's groomsmen – Edward, she thinks – but she hasn't met him yet. She definitely noticed him when he walked Rosalie's cousin, Irina, down the aisle.

"Edward Cullen to the rescue!" Emmett yells out. The groom is more than a little drunk; he's actually bordering on wasted. He looks around and spots Bella, who is starting to hyperventilate. "Bella-boo, let's go!"

"Come on, Bella," Rosalie coaxes her. She leads her out to the middle of the dance floor even though Bella is shaking her head furiously. "It'll be the quickest minute of your life."

"Now remember," the DJ says. "The higher the garter, the longer the marriage!"

Someone brings out a chair and Rosalie pushes down on Bella's shoulders until she sits. When Bella tries to stand, Rose just pushes her back down and cackles. "C'mon, Baby Bells, my marriage depends on this!" Her voice is loud, louder than usual, which means she's as drunk as Emmett and the rest of their wedding party. This will not be good.

"Here we gooooooo," the DJ drawls out.

The music starts and Bella turns her head to look at the DJ incredulously. The song is "Hungry Like the Wolf." She doesn't even know what to say to that. Because she turned, she missed the show happening at the corner of the dance floor.

Edward's level of inebriation matches his friends. To the beat of the music, he bares his teeth toward Bella before spinning in a circle to the entire room. Slowly, he unbuttons the top button of his dress shirt. He turns sharply to face Bella again and continues to undo his buttons. The garter is around his wrist but he slips it off and bites it so that it dangles from his mouth. He shakes his head while staring at Bella, growling and playing like a puppy.

"Oh God," Bella moans. She's too embarrassed to do anything but cover her face with her hands. "I can't handle this."

Edward drops to the floor and starts crawling toward her slow and like a panther – a drunk panther. He stops a few feet away and lifts up to his knees. Like some cheesy cologne ad, he strips off his button-down, leaving him in only a white undershirt.

"I can't, I can't," Bella mutters.

"Here, Bella, here." Alice, Rosalie's maid of honor, is standing next to her with a bottle of wine. To Bella's surprise, there's a straw sticking out of it. Alice holds the straw to Bella's lips. "Drink, drink, drink."

She does because it makes sense. Edward knee-walks to her and winks. His eyes are slightly glassy and his smile is crooked but he looks like he's having fun. Reaching out for the hem of Bella's dress, he winks again then ducks down.

"Oh my God, stop," she tries to say but he flips the bottom of her dress up so that them hem lies across her knees. Only the bottom part of her legs are showing so it's not too bad.

Then she lets out a screech because Edward takes her ankle and lifts it up so her leg is parallel to the floor. He kisses the skin of her ankle once before he grasps her shoe and flings it off. Bella watches as it skitters across the floor toward the table where Emmett's parents are howling with amusement.

"Ready, sweetheart?" Edward asks mischievously.

"Ready?" she asks in a high-pitched voice. "Ready for what?"

"Just drink Bella," urges Rosalie. "Keep drinking."

"I'm a big believer in 'the higher the garter, the longer the marriage.'"

With those words, Edward slips the garter – which had fallen from his mouth to the floor when he started talking – over Bella's foot. He begins to slowly inch it upwards and Bella tenses more and more until he gets to her knee.

"USE YOUR MOUTH!" someone yells from somewhere in the room. The suggestion is met with cheers and laughter.

Edward grins wickedly and looks over at Emmett. They seem to have a silent conversation then Emmett laughs loudly and runs over with someone's suit jacket – probably his own considering how big it is. With a big flourish, he drapes it over Bella's lap.

"What are you – _oh my God, get outta there_!" she screeches when Edward's head disappears beneath the jacket. He's not actually using his mouth but his head is entirely too close to her – _ahem_, womanly areas – and she's not wearing underwear since she didn't want any panty lines to show with her dress. "No, no, no," she mumbles.

Edward's head pops back out from beneath the jacket and he flips himself so that he's lying on the floor, propped up on his elbows. He crosses his ankles and leans to one side so he can wave at the crowd with his right hand.

"It's as high as it'll _ever_ go!" he announces playfully. The room bursts into loud cheers.

Bella wants to die.

She stands and scurries off of the dance floor. The bathroom sounds like a great place to hide right about now. Just before she reaches the hallway outside of the reception room, a hand grabs her shoulder and she spins.

"Hey." It's Edward and his face is a little red but he's still smiling and his hand stays on her arm. "I don't think I ever introduced myself and I thought maybe I should because of the show that just happened out there."

_Show_. Right.

"I'm Edward. I went to high school with Emmett."

Bella doesn't answer. Her face is contorted into a weird look of embarrassment and pain.

"I know you're Bella," he continues. "You grew up with Rose. She's told me a lot about you."

Still, she says nothing. Her eyes move to the side where she can already see the sign on a door that says LADIES.

"I'm really sorry if I embarrassed you out there," he says. "I thought it might be fun."

"Fun?"

Edward shrugs. "More than half the people in there are wasted and won't remember anything anyway."

She gives him a strange look. "I'm pretty sure that will be on their wedding video."

"Huh," he muses. "Yeah, you're probably right. That'll be a story to tell." He lets out a laugh. "Look, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Let me buy you a drink."

"It's an open bar."

He grins. "Let me get you the drink of your choice. I promise not to let my hands anywhere near your body."

Bella hesitates. She _is_ attracted to him. "Well…"

"Well, I'll _try_ to keep my hands away from your body. The fact that you're not wearing anything under your dress has me extremely turned on."

"Oh, God," she moans again.

Edward laughs uproariously. "Come on, Blusher. I'll make it up to you."

She sincerely doubts that but a drink – or a shot – sounds incredibly good now, even better than hiding out in the bathroom.

"I expect more than one drink," she states firmly. "A _lot_ more."

"Deal."

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><p><em>Due to a lack of time, this story has been posted without a beta. All mistakes are my own – my apologies.<em>


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